stitchers block

Aw man, I started casting on today .... I started .... then kept getting interrupted ... left and right .... then my stomach started up (I shouldn't have had that big glass of milk - but I just can't resist Nesquick) ...

So I have the stitches cast on for one sock ... and half the stitches for the other. You would have thought I could have gotten back into it this evening -- but its just too hot in the house to think of working with wool.

it is still over 80F in the house even with the a/c running in our room - yes we have those stupid window units - and set to 66F to try to draw out the major humidity that there is too.

now if the tummy settles, I should be able to get some work done tomorrow .... I decided to use a cable cast on because it seemed rather stretchy in my swatch and it seems to keep itself neat as stitches are worked thru ....

I have noticed that the stitches like to twist more than my regular cast on, so I'm hoping that it won't twist while I'm working those first few rows which would be devestating.

Hogwarts Questionaire

Okay I saw this on several other blogs of other members so I think I may just not have gotten the email yet....so hey, I'll pull a Hermione and jump the gun! After all, she is the smartest witch in her class.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire
1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Slytherin, with deliciously dreamy Professor Snape (I prefer the book colors of Silver & Emerald to the movie colors of Grey & Green)
2. Shoe size? Size 9 (or a loose size 8)
3. Foot Length? 9.5inches from heel to toe
4. Foot Circumference? 8.75 inches at ankle, 8.5 inches at the ball
5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.

• Boye 7 inches long, sizes 1-3 for socks depending on the yarn/pattern/look I want
• Susan Bates 7 inches long, size 0 (actually these came in a set of 5 different sizes, and are the only Bates needles I like)
• Boye (see above).....I very loyal to the Boye name---my crochet hooks are Boyes, my needles are Boyes, the majority of my tatting shuttles are Boyes.

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length? Well, I'm always up to try something new, I would like to try some wooden ones but I realize they are very expensive and don't expect them from my partner. Anything over 7" I think gets too long for socks, sometimes I wish my Boyes were an inch shorter. Any size is fine...right now I'm waiting for a set of 0000's to go on sale...I want to try some mini-knitting.

7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference? I do however prefer the Silver & Emerald (since it contrasts the Scarlet better than Green) to the Movies Grey & Green.

8. Allergies? Do you have any? Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? I am allergic to cats and fish...very sensitive to the cat dander (my lips puff and my eyes swell)

9. Are you an international participant (outside US)? Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal? I am not an international participant (US) but I'm afraid going international right now is a bit outside of my funding, so not this round I'm afraid...sorry!

Well that's it for now....I wonder if I have to post this on the Swap page too? Maybe I'll stop in and put in a link.

Blessings and Twilight!!

Here we go again!

Okay, so here I go delving into the world of blogging again...this is actually blog number 3, well number 4 if you count my YouTube acct. The first is my private blog (invite only) and the other is one about old time radio/movies that my family like to listen to/watch together.

This blog will be dedicated to my crafting.

Actually this particular blog is being started because I am hoping to join an online sock exchange that requires its members to have an open blog account (that is public), but since the other blog on yahoo360 is my "venting" blog, more like a personal diary where I don't want just anyone to read it....I had been thinking about going public and posting crafting stuff with it but then I have just too much personal stuff on there.

So the next best solution was to take advantage of the free blog offered by Google which I have had at my disposal for years and just didn't realize it! How foolish to I feel? So now I have a blog just for my crafting.

So what kind of crafting do I do?
Well let's just say I am known all over the web as Maggie the Crochet-a-Holic (you may have ran across my website at http://dustbunnies.com/crochet.htm) which I have been doing since the young age of 4...in grade school, Motley Elementary decided to have a class in beginning crochet...we kids were allowed to choose 2 classes a quarter as an elective (it was supposed to prepare us for high-school)...so in fourth grade I took the crochet course (figuring I could always use an easy A and it gave me an hour a day when I was actually encouraged to crochet in school....otherwise I was constantly being told to wait for recess time).

You can imagine my surprise when I found the course was being taught by Mrs. Jorgenson...my mother had taught her how to crochet over the summer break and I had even taught her a few things. She instantly recruited me as class helper to show the other kids what to do--well that was a disaster! Get a group of girls together with crochet hooks, yarn, and a ton of gossip and well....very little got done. I guess the thing that really disappointed me was that when I did get time to myself I wasn't allowed to work on the Barbie clothes, the hair ties, the mittens & hats that I wanted to....I had to complete the required class project just like everyone else:

This Gods awful boring belt made three chained ropes (one each of a different color, each chain was to wrap around our waist three times before braiding)...it was so boring for me!!! I had a really tough time completing that project (it was torture for me)

In fact that one project almost made me fail because I just could NOT motivate myself.

Now I'm a mom and teaching my own kids to crochet (boys and girls a like) and what was the first project I gave them? That awful belt! Now that I've grown up I can see where it is the perfect beginners project...in fact you could finish it in a single weekend if you wanted to (and if you pick up on the chain stitch quick enough I bet you could do it in a single day).

I have never posted the "pattern" online (neither blog nor webpage) but if anyone is interested in a simple beginner's project I'd be happy to do so here.

Well that's it for my first post....I am sure I will post more later on.

OH WAIT!!! I forgot to mention what other crafts I do....are you ready?

• crochet
• tatting
• knitting (my latest passion is/are socks)
• cross stitch (stamped and counted)
• liquid embroidery
• machine embroidery
• polymer clay
• wire wrapping
• jewelry making
• decorative cakes (well cupcakes mostly)
• carving (wood & stones)
• painting
• loop knitting
• I'm learning to machine knit (although I'm having some problems)
• scrapbooking
• machine sewing (I love making costumes for my kids...maybe I'll post a few photos later of them)
• rune-carving/casting
• tea blending (okay, many would consider this more and art than craft)

I'm sure I've missed a bunch that I just do without thinking....LOL....but we all know how that goes!