Ringing in July

While everyone slept on the eve of July 1st, I quietly pulled out the red table cloth and the Canada box.  Hung the enormous flag where it could NOT be missed and went to bed, ready to welcome the next day!  

We awoke to the majestic strains of Oh Canada and enjoyed breakfast with the table centerpieces of Canadian geese.  We enjoyed a day of Canadaopoly, and putting together our Canada puzzle and our Victoria's inner harbour puzzle.  

I attempted to crochet a maple leaf to make a table runner... but I made it 3 times and pulled it out 3 times.  Just could not manage to have it lay flat.

We completed the day with a delightful and well anticipated day of Poutine.

 

Just as I was getting ready for bed I noticed that my much anticipated lily had bloomed.  It was beautiful!

Similarly on the 4th... we woke and played the national anthem and then since it was a Saturday, worked all day on house projects and had a delicious dinner of T-bone steaks, watermelon and corn on the cob. 

The boys put together a map of the USA puzzle and we ended the evening watching the original first Star Wars movie, A New Hope.  

I umm... well.. uh... I forgot to take any photos... you'll just have to take my word for it that I flew the flag on that barn and had table decorations.

But to make up for it... just before we crawled into bed, Channa sent us some 4th of July photos of Kenzie.

She fell while skateboarding... no helmet.  Her mummy Uva is most concerned for that noggin and grateful that more damage wasn't done!

Oh.. and there was a lovely moon rising that night!

For James Douglas Nelson

I've been crocheting book marks and teddy bears and scrunchies and scrubbies and other small projects.

I began a large 'ish' project a few weeks ago.  It seemed simple enough. Just a bunch of squares really.

A baby blanket made with 14 squares done in 2 different colours and a few other squares down with both colours.  Then just stitch it all together.  What could be simpler. 

Weeks!

Of hours per day.

And then the long anticipated baby came early!

I stayed up late.  I neglected other things.

I finished the blanket and the little velvet bear.

I would do a lot differently if I ever made another.  First... 

I would give myself more time!

Then, I would use a different yarn.  Maybe bamboo?  This was soft baby yarn but it kept splitting as I crocheted.. so tough to work with.

I would choose less complicated stitches... probably not because I loved learning all the stitches, but... It may have been more symmetric with less variety in the stitching.

Lastly,  I would finish early enough that I had time to test wash it so I can be certain that all my weaving and knots held fast.  (I'm very nervous that it will unravel.  I will happily repair it, but I'd rather it didn't cause any distress.)

Expectation vs. Reality

I've crocheted a lot of items this year.  Most have been for specific purposes or people and have been gifted or sold.

The little boys were wondering if I would ever make anything for them.

Emerson requested a goat. 

Whittaker requested a sheep.

Apparently as delighted as they are with their new stuffed friends... they were secretly hoping for live animals.

hmmm...  A few goats and sheep might come in handy with my new yarn obsession..

A stitch in time... Takes a LOT of TIME

It has been mentioned, hinted at, alluded to, commented and remarked blatantly about... that I've neglected a few things lately.  Most were referring to my writing... either chapters or blogs...  and while that is true... what is not as widely known is the neglect of .... dishes, laundry, cooking, showering, sleeping....

I blame my great grand-mother.... and Channa... and Miles...
I read recently that blame does not promote rational thought... so thankfully the following does not need to have any rationale.

My great-grandmother Geneva Gathright taught me, over a series of summers spent in Portland, how to crochet.  I never did much with that ability.  A few granny square quilts... mostly for dolls.

She taught anyone who would take the time to learn...

Aunt Nancy obviously took the time.  Since we each received afghans at Dad's funeral. 

Years later, Miles and Sarah learned to crochet and knit from a delightful lady, ironically named Nancy who held weekly 'Knichet' classes for anyone in the neighbourhood who wished to learn.  She ended up with a dozen children at her door each week.  She enjoyed their youth and energy and taught them.  She was suffering from cancer and those children will always remember her kindness and smiles.  There were many young faces at her funeral who had all taken the day from school to show their respect to this sweet lady. 

Miles picks up things... quickly.. easily... needless to say, when I came across a fabulous idea to crochet some Christmas projects one year, I turned not to my skill gained at the knee of my great grandmother but to my children... who had more free time than I did... and insisted they use every spare minute to help me with the crochet project.  They did... a little begrudgingly but did a wonderful job.

Channa recently posted...

Initial thoughts on her post.... 

• do you actually expect me to remember this in two years?
• those are cute slippers... maybe he could make me some also.
• it's a shame I couldn't send him a hook and yarn and just have him mail it back completed.
• I suppose I do know how to crochet.... 
• it's not a granny square.
• I know someone locally who teaches crochet... I bet she'd give me pointers on how to read the pattern.
• I just told the boys that everything this Christmas needed to be homemade.. I suppose I should make things also.
• I'll just do it... and if I don't tell Channa... then if I'm not successful... no  one needs to know.

 I did it... I made the slippers.  I didn't take any photos... Just look at the original post... and think... dark brown.. and not so polished a finished product.  They were definitely cozy.  I had a friend cut some leather for the bottom and he surprised me by attaching it also... He hadn't seen the photo so the leather was the entire sole of the slipper. 

It was exhilarating to make an actual something! 

I teach primary and this year will be teaching the same class as last year.  I try to recognize each child's birthday.  Last year I mailed them a cute notebook and pencil.  I needed an idea for this year.  My friend came for New Year's and she whipped up adorable bookmarks for the Schmidt girls.  Dainty, darling bookmarks.  I mulled it over and googled simple bookmarks for kids.  I decided I could probably handle making the bookworm bookmarks for the dozen kids in my class. 

So I began crocheting.  It took a few attempts but I finally had a successful Bruno the Book of Mormon bookworm.  He 'loves to feast upon the words'.  

Now to make twelve!  Thankfully they aren't all born in January.

Fast forward to the end of January.  I have 3 finished bookworms....  and a ridiculous idea for Valentines day.

The little boys are in a home-school Co-op that meets once a week.  They were planning to have a Valentines party.  We were encouraged to think 'non-candy' for the valentine exchange.  Some gave pickles, pens, teddy graham crackers... 

Me?

On Jan.. 31st I sent a message to the parents asking... please tell me your child's favourite animal.

I expected... cats.. dogs.. cows.. pigs... horses... I expected it so much that I began to crochet a pig and a sheep.  They were adorable.  But the list of favourite animals did not include any pigs or sheep.  

With only 13 days until the party I had to find patterns for and complete 14 bookmarks... of penguin, shark, chipmunk, panda, 2 scorpions, a whale shark, (I had to look up what a whale shark was!), frog, elephant, tiger and thankfully 2 cats and a dog.  

So for 13 days... I crocheted.  A LOT!  

This is why there hasn't been any blogs.. chapters... supper.. clean underwear!
This is a serious problem.
I did find it delightful to have something to do when waiting around in town for kids... and when Patrick was driving... I can get a lot crocheted in a half hour drive to town.  But I can NOT get anything else accomplished when crocheting.  I can not read.  I can not even listen to a book because I'm constantly counting stitches and referring to the pattern.  I can not clean or cook or type! 

but...

I can now say that I can read a crochet pattern. 
I have a few more bookworms to make but then I can take a crochet break.... maybe... unless I have some other grand idea.