Just keep Stitching

Good morning friends! I am normally not a morning person but I have decided to change my perspective a little bit. I see the lag time between kiddo awakenings as "quiet time". You see I have to get my oldest daughter up for school a whole hour before the other three. Our school staggers the opening times for the High/Middle school and the Elementary schools. Our High/middle school lets in at 7:30am and the Elementary school doesn't let in until 9:00am. My daughter doesn't mind getting to school earlier because she will get out of school at 2:30 in the afternoon. My other 3 has to be in school until a quarter til 4. I am still not sure if I like this staggering but it does seem to cut down on traffic at let out times.

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I have been going through some serious personal changes as of late. Most of you who read my blog know about my past and dealing with panic attacks and depression and the years I spent in my home too panicky to leave. During that time crochet was my only friend. It would take me ages to finish projects as I did sleep a lot, I wasn't very fast, and I would lose interest. BUT I loved to crochet when my mind was at it's worst. It saw me through and gave me something solid to hold on to as a goal. As long as I had something I needed to finish, I couldn't let the depression take me.

For the past 2 maybe a little more years I have been getting out and re-learning the world. 6 years is a long time to stay in my home. Most of my 20s I was a hermit. I have so much to see and learn that sometimes my hooks get frozen and I honestly feel like I have lost something. Almost like a part of me is missing. Then once I slow down a little bit, I grab my hooks and that old friend is back, the void I was feeling is gone, all is right with the world again.

I experienced one of these times over the past month. I have been so wrapped up in finding ways of maintaining my budget, couponing, house keeping, body I just didn't pick up my hooks. I had a few projects that needed finished and I just couldn't bring myself to get them done.

Happily though, I found my hooks again, thawed them out and I have been on a roll ever since!

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I have a ta-dah for all of you. I am a little backwards in showing off my work as I tend to take it to facebook, ravelry, and then my blog so alot of you have probably already seen this little blanket but anyway.....

 Ta-dah! This cute little baby blanket was a joy and was quick to crochet (once I really got on it). It is made with Bernat Baby Jacquards yarn in the Spearmint Candy color way. It is a nice yarn to work with. It glides on and off the hook with ease and doesn't split. It is so soft and it is a great baby blanket yarn.

 My favorite part of this little blanket is how the stitches form little hearts. The pattern came out of a Leisure Arts Little Book Named So Sweet Baby Afghans. Oh and one of the best things about this afghan is I didn't have to buy the yarn. My sister-in-law sent it to me! She tends to surprise me with little bits and bobs mailed all the way from Florida!!!!

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Not only did I finish a project but I am also working on another. I have been hooking my little heart out making granny squares! My honey brought home some nice Caron Simply Soft yarn one day. It sat on my shelf for a long time until.......

 .........I had an epiphany. Granny squares, granny squares, granny squares.

 I have some lovely burgundy ones, and sunny yellow ones, and some made in multicolors.

 I have some in green and I will have some in blue.

 Just hooking, hooking, hooking. I'm not really sure the pattern these granny squares will be joined together in but I love making these quick and simple squares.

Oh there is one word of caution when using Caron Simply Soft. It is a very slippery yarn. In this picture you can see the sheen in the skeins. If you don't weave in your ends and finish your work very carefully, they will come undone. My mom made a beautiful daisy blanket only to have it unravel after one wash! Other than that this yarn is so nice to crochet with and is super soft to touch!

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I also have a planned project! (You see, I am on a roll) A while back I bought 10 beautiful skeins of Stylecraft Special Dk yarn from Deramores. It has been sitting..............

..............on my shelf just waiting for me to decide what it shall become. I think I have figured it out! I have decided on this throw on the Red Heart website. What do you all think?

Well, I am going to quit writing for now and get my Elementary crew motivated for their school day! Thank you all for stopping by and until next time....Be Blessed!