here a stash, there a stash

every where a stash stash!!

dawn asks the question, "What holds your hooks?"

well, i kinda have 'em all over the place. sorta organized.
my 'regular' sized hooks are in a pencil case, save the one i'm using that travels with me. it goes in this handy toothbrush holder (thank you holly).






mu tunisian hooks are in the ArtBin Hook and Needle Case my parents gave me for Christmas, which can be found at JoAnn's... they also gave me the ArtBin Needlework/Yarn Tote! chezcrochet has some excellant tutorials and such for tunisian. hooks and pattern books can be bought at Annie's Attic





my crochenit hooks are in a under-bed storage (along with projects i am ignoring... notice my 63 squares, well only about 13 or so)






all other hooks; afghan, cro-hooks, my TOTC hook, double ended hooks, cabled hooks.... they are in a drawer to a plastic oganization unit thingy.






not asked, but i'll answer anyway. "what holds your needles?"

my straight needles are in an old old case for brass welding rods, which i got from my Grandpa. and my cable hooks are in a tangled disaster in a canvas tote.









whew! i'm all linked out - and out of time.

help me!

okay, i have a million and 2 things to post about, do not fear ya'll, i've been keeping notes.

so what's this cry for help?
well, i have (seriously) probably 20-30 WIPs going. none of which are calling out to be done - using my oh-so-precious crochet time.
here is where the problem comes in, as if having 30 WIPs isn't a problem, i have a great idea for a design of my own rattling around. i've drawn it out and have some yarn that i think will be great for it----

do i behave like a good little girl and get some stuff done, or do i go ahead and start to work on this design, knowing that it could be fairly time consuming... ?

rose colored glasses, vol. 2

have i told you lately how wonderful that man of mine is?

rose colored glasses

yes. he is always that wonderful. and have i mentioned that he's gorgeous too?!
here he is. my man, on his way to work last week.






he is the love of my life, my soul mate, the reason i breathe... (i'll spare you from any further mush)


on the fiber front:
i am SOO far behind in posting! eeek






look at these gorgeous pink bookmarks i received in the mail, from my friend Jayme. they are fabulous!! currently the reside on top of my jewely stand because i don't want to tuck them away between pages!

i was tagged the other day and still haven't gotten to it. but it is on my 'to do' list.

oh, gotta tell you about the microwave:

yesterday afternoon. my 2 year old decides he is hungry and gets a left-over Arby's roast beef sandwhich. happily munching away and playing. he put it down and one of the dogs ate it. now the boy is not so happy and wailing. my 3 year old suddenly develops compassion and decides to fix his brother another. so he gets one out of the refrigerator and puts it in the microwave to warm it up. pushes the 'popcorn' button... and then starts screaming "mama mama, it's all fired up!" huh? then he starts talking and all i hear is "cooking burger" and i immediately know what he is talking about.... so i take off running... i round the corner to see my 5 year old daughter with her hands on her cheeks and mouth wide open and eyes HUGE - think "Home Alone". i came through the backdoor of the kitchen, the microwave is on this wall, so i don't see what's happening inside, just the bright neon orange glow cast on my daughter's face. i open the door to stop it and smoke rolls out, filling the kitchen with the horrible stench of burned foil burger wrapper and bun. i mean this thing was toasted!! hungry??






that's it so far today. my alotted time is over. although i have much much more to post. maybe tonight. maybe.

A Valentines Day Message

I am writing this on my wife’s blog to share with the world the way I feel about her. Let me first start off with the immortal words, “I Love My Wife”. I will always love her and she will always be a part of me. I want to explain this a little further by saying waking up every morning with her lying next to me is like watching the sunrise spread across sky painting it yellow, red and gold. Every day is more then breathing fresh air it’s like being reborn into new state of joy. She is my best friend, my partner, my happiness. She has given my four wonderful children, she has made my house a home just by residing in the same place I do. Every night is more then special it’s like … well its life. I know that may seem odd, but without her I feel I would wilt and blow away. On this Valentines Day 2005, I reaffirm my love for her to the world, this 9th Valentines Day we have spent together as man and wife.

Rebecca, I love you. Always and Forever.

Your Husband.

WIP wednesday

i updated my picture again to show off my new piercing.... but it's just too small to see.
i know there are other things i'm supposed to be posting about, but today is:



Grayson's Baby blanket 75% done
Hubby's Chenille blanket - about 10 inches wide
Mr Speckles has a head, body and both arms
my sisters HUGE red (was to be throw - has become bed covering) has YET ANOTHER skein completely on it... more to go
knitted soldier's hat is finished and mailed to julie for anysoldier
nannie's cross sits with just one round to go --- don't know why i can't get into this

the prayer pot is complete






Katey's baby blanket is finished! thank you mitzi for sending the final skein i could not get at the stores anymore!!






this is all i can remember right now... i may go in and do some editing and updating to this post later. depending on if i have time. my youngest is not feeling well and is wanting to be held a lot this morning. we'll see how the day goes

proud!

what a proud mommy am i! take a look at this:



this is my 7 year old using a nifty knitter to make a hat for his teacher's new baby. she has been on maternity leave since a few days before Christmas break and will be returning tomorrow. my heart just glowed as my son and i were sitting on the couch working side by side.... and he say's "oh man, i missed a peg, i'm gonna have to frog this whole row!" ahhhhh the joys of motherhood :)

but alas... my boy is still a boy and the justice league and gameboy won his attention for his free time today... the hat sits, unfinished. but i am determined not to let him follow his mom and go from one project to the next without finishing any of them. so much so, to prove that to him today... i finished up a baby blanket that has been lying around for a LONG time...... more on that tomorrow, i also completed a little pouchy thing for him to put his baby teeth in for the toothfairy (he lost a tooth the other day... again, more tomorrow - i'm against the clock tonight). i also added another entire skein to my sister's Christmas present (yes, this PAST Christmas *sigh*) this blanket is driving me nuts... i'll post a pic tomorrow. i miss guessed the length of a beginning chain i would need and didn't realize it until i was several feet into it. decided to press on and that it would just be bigger than i had planned. wrong decision. this thing is HUGE! hubby also finished up a soldier's hat that i had started on a larger sized nifty knitter. seems like a productive weekend :).

oh, the time thing. my weight control person at the center told me to start going to bed 1 hour earlier than i normally do. i'm gonna try to mind for as long as i can. with that, i leave you, because i only have 12 minutes left!!

what did I do last week end?

my sissy that lives in (well, near) San Antonio came up for a few days. because of different issues, she was not able to make it up for thanksgiving or Christmas... SOOO, on Friday night, my sister's and our hubbies (and SO) and a few friends went out. i got a sitter WOOOHOOO! we went bowling! i know, i know, we really whooped it up big!

check this out:


yes, i'm all proud! that is the only time during the night that i got all the pins down during 1 turn!! yeah, i pretty much suck at bowling. i think my highest score was a 68!
but, the fashion - ck out these shoes (and my dorky bil's feet)



we left the bowling alley just after midnight and decided to visit a friend of all of ours that owns a tatoo parlor..... i know what you're thinking!
wait for it.....








no. i didn't get a tatoo (i already have 2), and neither did anyone else. BUT, i did get PIERCED!







although it looks like i'm crying in the last picture, i wasn't :)
it hurt a bit, i'm not gonna lie. but it was not painful, if that makes sense. anyhow--- i'm pleased with it.

now, this coming weekend - TOP THAT!!


just a memory teaser.... the first one who can tell me a bit about the necklace i'm wearing --- no cheating --- gets a prize :)

what did YOU do last weekend?

and again

i'm going to try and do some more updating on the look of the page... try

the meeting was neat last night. the speaker (helen) showed some of her woven chenille scarves - simply GORGEOUS! i also got a quick weaving lesson from John, it's very very neat, looks complicated though and something i am not ready to get involved in yet. i want to become a better spinner first. okay, that's all for now, i really want to work on other things.
a quote to leave you with:

Maturity is the ability to do a job whether or not you are supervised, to carry money without spending it, and to bear an injustice without wanting to get even.

Ann Landers
(i think i might still be a toddler)

meeting

no time tonight, i have to go to my Handweavers Guild meeting.
no, i don't weave... but it's the only resource of fellow spinners around here.
so i go. look at everyone's creations and learn spinning tricks/techniques :)
funny little side note about my guild - i'm about 30 years younger than everyone else... it's pretty funn :)
'til tomorrow (unless something fabulously interesting happens at the meeting... oh so doubtful.

needing a title

normal day today, as far as i can remember right now.
went to the gym, then went for my twice weekly weigh in. still haven't lost any more??? but i spoke with the supervisor and she sat down with me. got a new plan figured up and i'm supposed to go check in again on friday. i'm absolultely pathetic... sitting here now, i totally can not remember what we did next. i think we just went home. had lunch. mmmmm salad - gads, the pounds of salad i've eaten... then, bathed the boys, took my early trip to the school, sat there in the comfort of my suburban with 2 snoring children in the back, crocheting as fast as my fat little fingers could go for a little over an hour. i've got this mystery gift in the works for hubby and so can only work on it when he's not around. got my daughter, drove halfway across town, picked up my oldest son, then back across town the in yet another direction to get home --- to what? no good mail! i'm expecting some roving from oregon*trail*yarns. you know how it is when you're anxiously awaiting for an exciting package in the mail. seems like it takes twice the normal time of delivery *sigh*. that's not all i'm waiting for. i ordered a teddybear felting kit from living felt. i'm ready for it to arrive too *sigh* hubby took 2 of the kiddos to their tumbling class and i stayed home and goofed off with the other 2. dinner was beef tips with egg noodles, salad (yes, MORE salad) and asparagus. put the kids to bed and then spun a spindle of this really bizarre roving i've had for a while. it's acrylic pencil roving on this giant red plastic spool thing. i have no idea how much??? i filled to capacity a spool and the roving spool looks untouched. i have no idea what i am going to do with this. i was just spinning for relaxation and to practice consistency. i'm sure i'll come up with some thing for it. recap of my day. isn't it thrilling. tomorrow, i'll do it again :)
so do you feel cheated? you read all of this and absolutely none of it was thrilling or abnormal... not even a joke! you just got poked by a blog

new do

well, i got a new hairstyle so thought i would update my picture with it...although, i don't think i like it as well as the other one. picture, that is. i like my hair better. felt like i was 'stuck' in the other. like i'd had it too long. something funny about this particular hair appointment - i took my daughter with me, just she and i. we pull into the place, Solutions, and walk inside. it is the kind that there are several rooms in one large building and a large waiting room out front for all the stylists inside. so we're waiting and talking laughing and playing around...biff, my hair guy, (yes, his name really is biff) has his door open and i can see him chatting away with his client, but never seeing her. a few minutes later, he hollers (because that's what we do in Texas) "hey rebecca, i'm ready for ya!" i grab my purse and daughter, stand up to go and my sister is coming down the hall ??? huh ??? sorry, i know it's not as funny to you, but totally cracked us up that we scheduled our haircuts on the same day just 30 minutes apart. so she waited and she and i and my daughter went to starbucks and had a coffee. no, my daughter didn't have coffee. she got a hot cocoa. she is only 5. i need to get her addicted to chocolate before we move on to the luxuries of coffee.
as for any crocheting stuff. i've been working on a mystery gift that i can't talk about (she's a reader). i've gotten a few rows done. still plenty more to go... i'm just bored of it now. wish i could work on mr speckles. and now it occurs to me that i have not told you of him. i have spoke of him in town. i'll post some pictures of him tomorrow. or, if you're impatient, go here. i need to learn how to make the words that are links either a different color or something...
Julie, how do you make your words change the way they do????? oh, that reminds me: i know i said that i would post a picture of my wonked out scarf... truthfully, i got caught up in the johnny carson tribute on the tonight show and didn't take pictures. don't let me forget about it. that's it for tonight. i've gotta go sit in bed and do another row on my knitting project... guess i should update that knitting page too....

can a woman resist beads?

after several days of making beaded stitch markers, and then reading donna's blog, and being still further inspired by the book i have been reading:



i couldn't help myself. i picked up a huge ball of sz 10 white thread, given to me by the wonderful kelly, and loaded it with a hundred or so silver beads. i knotted each bead on individually from 3-5 inches apart. thick/thin spun some yummy scarlet wool and then plyed it with my bead-laden thread. i think it looks great! YAY, me! you can definately tell i'm a beginning plyer (it is patheticly uneven), but i'm still super pleased with myself!


the color in this photo is a bit off... the yarn is a much deeper red.

not sure what is to become of this yarn.... i'm thinking a cell phone cozy for my sister... or maybe a change pouch. something for her, though, that's for sure... red is her favorite color and i think she will enjoy the beads.

wonder if this will full well??? what do you think?

(a few days behind in posting from my soapbox)
sorry, but i've gotta get political for a sec:
for those who decided to protest on inauguration day and deprive our country's economy by not making purchases, gasoline or otherwise....
here's a little bird:



yup, that's an inauguration celebration purchase of 37.9 gallons of gas for my fuel-sucking 4X4 chevrolet suburban at a grand total of Sixty One Dollars and Forty Two cents!

surprise in the mail

how cute is this?!
one of my sisters sent this to me. i just love it. just so... me!
and the heart is change-able... maybe she'll send me a pink one soon :)
thank you sister, i really love it.

i also received this beautiful bookmark from a crochet fairy
i LOVE it!



went to Cracker Barrel for dinner, surprise surprise - their Christmas decorations were on SALE! so i bought a few of their 'toy' ornaments. i hope to continue to find them through the year and redecorate our tree next year.

how could i pass these up?!?

leave it alone!

just one question:
what were they thinking?


don't they know reese is the perfect candy - a wonderfully delicious mixture of perfectly textured peanut butter covered in chocolate
i just don't understand the logic behind this failure...
okay, moving on: i'm feeling a bit better, still an effort to breathe, but no longer a struggle. so that's good. my kids have been so good these past couple of days, i'm so proud of them. they are doing so well in their activities. my oldest is in kenpo karate, my daughter and 3 year old son do tumbling. they are all loving their activities, practicing hard and taking the discipline needed seriously. i'm a proud mom :) i love to gush over my kiddos

okay, on to crochet. well, i've been working hard on projects i can not show you here. there are 4 gifts in progress to 3 different people... all of whom drop in here occasionally, so... sorry, no pictures here. those of you from town have seen them :)

i'm going to be spinning tonight for the above mentioned projects! oh how i love my hilary!

that's all for now. i need to "urge" my boys into some more cleaning of their room.

entertainment

how does a sick mommy keep her 4 children entertained and happy?




she lets them do her hair :)

today i felt well enough to put a hook in my hand and made a hat for my dear friend, sherry. notice i did not feel well enough to photograph it. another day

yummy yarn

some oh so yummy yarn i got off ebay -

handspun for character :)




feeling too icky to do any more tonight... but thought you'd like to see it.

The Hook

for some time there has been quite a buzz about the supreme quality and beauty of Bill's hooks on the board. so, i put in a request for one and received it as a Christmas gift from my sil. my review? it is a thinkg of incredible beauty and graceful functionality. yes, it deserves that pedestal upon which it rests...




as far as new creations:


i made this Christmas afternoon to wear on my shirt for a party that night.


this is a scarf i made for my mother for her birthday. she asked for one that is pink and fuzzy....okay, that's what i did.


that's all for tonight, i'm going to try to get some other things taken care of....

go check out the YarnSwap gallery to the right ------- >
see all the yummy yarn that has been received :)

color!

YELLOW You are very perceptive and smart. You are clear and to the point and have a great sense of humor. You are always learning and searching for understanding. Find out your color at Quiz Me!

spinning tutorial

spinning

another day, nothing done

as far as the site goes anyway. oh well - or as my little sister used to say oilwell. man oh man we used to give her heck over that!


do you see what i see? he he he he... it took 2 weeks before he could resist the shiny balls no more. doesn't he look guilty?



a wonderful ELF from crochetville blessed my mailbox with the cutest little chapstick holder - it's a keychain!! how convenient is that?!



that's all for now. MUCH to do!!!

updating, hopefully

thoughout the day today, as i take breaks from the laundry and cleaning of closets, i hope to fool around with the site. no promises... as the last time i did this, nothing changed... it all vanished. so, trying again.
i'm sincerely asking this of you:
what do you think i should change? add?
(remember, you can leave your comments anonymous - tee hee)
i know the gallery of my stuff isn't up. maybe that will be my focus... who knows. anyhow, gotta get the laundry i folded now needs to be put away- never knew my life was so glamorous, did ya?! :)
hey, how do some of you have emoticons within your blogs?????

mi vida loca

yesterday was early release day for the kiddos - so they got out of school at noon. what a perfect time to run some errands, i thought - along with the other 325 THOUSAND people that live in this town! seriously, i had to WAIT for a parking spot at walmart! and there are 4 supercenters here. they had to have made a killing yesterday. so we brave walmart because milk and jewelers pliars can not be found at the same place any where else. it wasn't that bad, but the funny thing? i had forgotten that it was "pajama day" at school for my children. so here we are traveling town with my 2 oldest decked out in their pj's- all the way to slippers. it was pretty funny, and we got several bizarre looks, with my oldest 2 in pj's and robes and my youngest 2 in the ever-present superman and batman capes. i must have looked like a crazy person and taking my kids right along with me.
i have been a busy little girl as fas as crocheting goes. i finished a cap for my grandpa:


a poncho for a cousin:


a bag for one of my sisters: (still needs to be lined)


speaking of my sister, here she is wearing a scarf i made her thanksgiving day:



okay, that is all i have time to post right now.... the laundry is buzzing at me-ick

secret names and other games

Here is the link to finding your own secret Christmas name. me? i'm Fuzzy Nose-Cheeks - should i be concerned?? how funny.

on the crochet front - i am in the midst of TOO MUCH STUFF!
UUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh my gosh! my children are making me crazy - yes, i realize admitting this outloud shows weakness, but they can't read yet, so i think i'm okay. it just seems that their little brains don't comprehend my words. they look at me as if to say "dear mother we love you, but picking up the crayons is not something we want to do. we so enjoy the look of frustration in your eyes and the sound of desperation in your voice. is today the day beatings begin?" they're testing me. i know it. they conspire at night to see how far they can push the next day. and yes, i think my 2 and 3 year old are capable of this conversation and are planning an all-out coup - just waiting until there are perfect conditions until my sanity is teetering on the edge........

i have these 3 skeins of "vintage" yarn that i hope to use for a felted bag. the blue and cream have labels are are 100% wool so i'm fairly certain they will work. however, the cranberry has peices of the label missing. i'm going to have to do some research to see about this. it says "moth repellant" does this mean it's 'superwash' (whatever that is) and won't full? does anyone know anything about this yarn?

failed updating

well, it appears that my udating disappeared - i'm just SOO frustrated. i did a lot of work the other day and it is completely gone. not sure what happened. i'm not even sure if i remember what all i did - man, this sucks. oh well. moving on.

this is a little jacket i made for a friend's little girl as a Christmas gift. i'll be shipping it tomorrow. Chelle's great pattern - again :)


has anyone noticed my scale? i'm all excited. i haven't lost that much actual weight because i've been working out a bit, but i have lost inches! woo hoo!
this is what my "diet" consists of:



not too bad, eh?
anyhow.... more on crochet - i've almost got the other baby blanket complete that needs to be done for thursday. i ran out of yarn and need to get another skein today... oh crum, HL is closed on sunday! shoot shoot shoot and a big sigh. i've got another baby blankie that must be done in 3 weeks - and then CHRISTMAS!!! i've pretty much abandon all gifts that i planned on getting made - oh well. at least i'm being honest with myself about it. i still hope to get 2 items complete. definately the throw for my SIL and the other, i can't say, just in case the future owner peaks in. alright, i need to get for now.

oh, one last thing - i have almost an entire spool spun for my jacket YAY!

updating

i have spent some time this morning - and will more this afternoon - updating links and pages and such on the main page www.ewedevil.com scroll and click around.
ideas/suggestions/opinions are more than welcome!!

secret pal, i love you!

because i'm short on time - the monsters are hungry - i am just going to post a picture for all of you at crochetville - and will go into detail after dinner!!!

follow-ups, updates, and a picture

about my deaf dane:
thank you all so much for the ideas and thoughts of my pup. he is precious to our family. he DOES know sign language - but he has to be looking at you to follow commands - which poses a problem when he's 'stretching his legs' around the neighborhood! eeek!!
as for the shock collar - we thought about it, debated it, and decided against it - mainly because of my boys. i'm terrified to think of what enjoyment they might get out of the collar (on the dogs, their sister, the cat, each other... the thought is troubling - he he he). we have found some vibrating collars - that are VERY pricey. as running off has never been a problem, we decided against getting one. i know now, not to take him without his leash... just can't trust the pup as much as the aussie that is an adult and very very well behaved. if he decides to run again, the vibrating collar will be our next step.
now.... investing in a shock collar for my 2 & 3 yr old sons..... hmmmmmm
he he he he he
oh, and no, he is not microchipped but has an appointment for one in january.

well, i have updated the Color of Love yarn swap page. which i am all too proud of myself for accomplishing! i'm trying to do some other changes to the 'home' page as well... just taking more time. i have volunteered myself for a few too many things this past week and am spending TONS of time working on those projects - to which i have 1 more thing to go and get them off in the mail. then it is back to Christmas items and a baby blanket that was supposed to be finished by tomorrow - NOT gonna happen. although, i don't think the shower will be for another 2 weeks.... i can hope. speaking of showers and blankets, here is a picture of the blankie i completed for the boy that was born- baby benjamin ---- oh my he is CUTE!

a fast bunny, a fast dog, and a few degrees

okay first, a story about my youngest - he is 2 years old.
we walk out the front door and start to the suburban... my victor takes off running after one of the many free-roaming-pet store-rabbits in the neighborhood. now, of course, mr. rabbit does not want to be caught by my victor and wisely hides deep inside a bush next door. shoulders drooping and head hanging, he walks to the 'burban. his sad little eyes look up at me and he says "dat bunny fast, mama"
holding back my laughter i say "yeah, did he ran away?" in that wonderful understanding sympathetic voice mommies have. his reply, matter of factly "nope. he go hop-hop-hop"

and now the fast dog: occasionally i will let me dogs go with me to pick up the older 2 from school. the came along today, passers by gawking at the great dane in the passenger seat. when we pulled in the driveway, the dogs bolted out and to the front door... then josh (the dane) sees a squirrel and takes off! okay, if you have a dog that runs when not on a leash, you know my terror at this moment... he has no collar on - because he eats them. so no identification. well dummy, just call him back home, right. oh no, because you see, i don't do anything the easy way.... my puppy is deaf. he's just loping along with no fear and no idea of what is around him. it took a good 20 minutes to get him back in the car! STRESS!!!

and the other thing:
the weather guy on the radio says "tomorrow we're going to feel the winter chill much more than today. forecast shows we'll be dipping down 24degrees. and that's your future forecast, i'm brian james... it's 2:42 at 20 degrees." hmmmm, think he should've had more coffee? he he he he

as for crochet, i finished a baby blanket last night and started a new one today. i'll post pictures in a bit, time for dinner with the family :)

i love my man

just in time:



he knew i was having a bad day.

aren't they just beautiful!?!
what a wonderful man he is. i'm feelin' all gushy.


okay, crochet stuff:
well, i have 2 baby blankies to start and finish in just 2 weeks. plus, get my Christmas stuff busy!!! i'm feeling stressed. i can do it. i can do it.... if i keep repeating this, i'll believe it, right?

okay, that's all for now, because there is much work to be done around the house before i can sit on my rear and crochet!!! off i go, rag in hand.

and it's done.

WINTER!

welcome, winter! now don't get me wrong, i'd much rather it be 105 degrees outside than see all this white stuff, but, with my new found skill of crochet - i'm fairly excited at the chill, oh the scarves and hats i will make!! we are in for one heck of a winter this year. our summer was SO mild.. i think it only reached 100 or more 3/4 times - if that. where we normally have several full weeks of it. anyhow, thought i would show you all what we had to deal with this morning... gotta love 4X4 wheel drive! an almost necessity on your vehicle around her. spring is wet and warm, summers are hot and dry, fall is cool and windy, winters are cold and icy. ahhhh Texas, truly nothing better.