Babies in Abundance

This year must be grandbaby year. Despite having 9 already, I continue to get phone calls letting us know to be expecting another, or in one case 2. Yes, one is a set of twins :)

So, anyway, my hook will be working overtime this year as the first is expected in June and more to come soon after.

Luckily, my Aunt Jo introduced me to a new book and as soon as I seen it, I knew I had to have it.

Folks, if you are looking for an excellent book of borders, I would highly recommend this one. You can find it in several location, but I got mine from Amazon here.No, I don't get any bonus for reviews, but I crochet a LOT and when I find a good book, I must share my excitement.

So, together with the other books in my crafting library...

... I am sure to come up with some interesting baby blankets over the next few months.

Just a hint... the first baby blanket will be GIRL colors :)

Looking forward to all the exciting things to come..... Happy Hooking!

Slow Week

A full week of coughs and sneezes around this house so not much time for anything, partly colds and partly allergies, but I did get some things accomplished. Proud to say my weekly quix results were 95 and 100 in Accounting and Economics, respectfully. And, I am only 4 rows away from the halfway point on this corner-to-corner throw.

Now I will be changing the rows a bit. There will be more blue than green on the other half. I cannot wait until I get to the other corner so this thing will go faster. More so, I cannot wait to see it finished :)

Best wishes to everyone! Until next time....Keep well!

My Cup of Tea

(Special thanks to sister-in-law, Tania, for the coffee percolator/tea kettle :)

     Life can get so erratic with our weekly schedules that we forget to take moments for ourselves to relax, reflect, reevaluate and rejuvenate.  Yesterday, for example, the phone calls started at 7:30a.m. and they did not stop until after noon. This is the time that I would normally be studying for an assignment due the next day but, before I knew it, the morning was gone and I had accomplished nothing at all. You folks have to know what I’m talking about, I cannot be the only to have hectic day. Can I?

     Well, anyway, one of my many favorite moments and set aside just for ME, is teatime. And I definitely needed one after that. You can find a substantial amount of information online about the health benefits of tea, so I will not go into that. I will just tell you there are many different types of tea and not everyone enjoys the same type. So, take the time to experiment and find a tea or combination that you enjoy. 

     There is no telling what type of tea I’ll have until it’s time and, then, there is no recipe. I throw in whatever tea I’m ‘feeling’ and let it steep. Yesterday it was Celestial Tension Tamer Herbal Tea. Today it’s a blend of Chinese Restaurant Tea and Celestial Sleepy Time. If, by slim chance, I’m not in the mood for hot tea, a cold combination that I really enjoy is Lipton and Sleepy Time. I can hear you asking, Sleepy Time in the afternoon? Yes, blended of course, it is relaxing without the sleepy. And, I love the slight minty flavor it adds to cold tea. Don’t be afraid to mix it up.

     Not your cup of tea? Try plain hot water. An older and much wiser woman, which I occasionally have lunch with, enjoys a cup of hot water after lunch. She explained that it helps with digestion and her family has been drinking hot water for generations. Not the hot water type? You could flavor it with anything, citrus, herbs, or vegetables, but then, wouldn’t it be tea again?

     I enjoy my tea in my cozy chair, no tv, no phone, no book, no anything, just me and my tea. It give me just a few minutes to relax, reflect on what has already be done that morning, reevaluate what needs to get done the rest of the day. Sometimes it seems to not last long enough, but when my cup is empty I feel rejuvenated and I’m ready to tackle the rest of day.

     Then, when all is said and done at the end of the day, I’ll get my water heating on the stove top again and enjoy the process all over again.

So, what else is left to say, except… brew up a cup of the good stuff for yourself ~and enjoy.

1 Work in Progress, 3 More in Prepareness

I have been desperately looking for a good pattern for a man's gift and I think I finally found it. It's hard to find a pattern that would both look "manly" and I would enjoy doing. The 3  For Him patterns that I did find were plain and solid in color... blah. When I came across this Corner to Corner pattern, I thought "It's Perfect"!

                  So, it's coming right along....

              And.... I can't wait to finish it.

Most of all, my husband is going to love it And, all of the men in my family may get a similar scarf for Christmas :)

Anyway, It's not bad to be prepared for future projects, right? I hope not, because I really plan ahead.  We all know the local stores never carry enough of one color for any project we are ready to do so this solves waiting, weeks sometimes, for them to restock. 

Besides the current project, I always keep 3 in preparing stage. As I can find the yarn, I purchase it and put it in one of the future project boxes. That way, by the time I'm done with one project, I have all the material for another.

The two on the left are for the Cathedral Rose and the one on the right is for a Six Pointed Star. Just imagine it. I can not wait to get started on them.

Until Then...Happy Hooking!