it's been a long time

needless to say, I got bored crocheting long panels, and used them for some yarn bombing.  On to other things, so many other things.  I have actually started multiple square afghan.  I have no idea why, I know that I hate joining squares.  I will finish the rainbow one for my daughter. Other than that, they will become other things.  This year, 2015, seems to be a cross stitch year.  I don't know why my desires change from crochet to needlepoint to cross stitch and back again.  But there it is.

mindless and wonderful

I have 6 scarves done, most fit the 6" by 54" diameters, a few are not so long as the  yarn ran out.  To keep it interesting I have done post treble crochets, stripes, vertical and horizontal.  There seems to a football team color thing going (Ravens black and purple, Skins red and gold and is it the Saints that are purple and gold?) so I think that  I will try to do each team's colors, which will require research.  I am enjoying this You Be the Judge challenge.

long time away

Not that I haven't been crocheting, just that I gave up on the mile thing.  It got boring, honestly.  So, for the fair this year I entered one large afghan, beautiful shades of green for Cat Carlson, two small striped afghans, one in Vanna's choice the other in cotton, one of the two big granny square baby afghans, and misc other stuff, a lovely stole, a shawl, a hat in twine, a purse, and about 60 baby hats for the you be the judge contest.  What a segue.  The 2014 YBTJ is scarves, ie, pieces about 6" wide by about 60 inches long.  So.... back to the mile!  I have done two already.  My heart is happier when I crochet. I know that, I just have to remember to do it.

I listened to the book, Carry the One, the other day, and while some of it was overwritten and a little long, the concept of carrying the one really resonated with me.  When I started the book, I thought that the title was from a song, one that kept itself on the edge of my brain.  Eventually I got to the explanation. The book was about a group of people who left a wedding and then the car in which they were riding hit and killed a young girl walking late at night. So, as one character says, whenever you count us all you have to carry the one.   It made me think of those that we carry, as a group, or individually.  My dad, how many people carry him?  Me and my mom, maybe his cousins on occasion.   My cousin Neil, who leaves a flag at his grave every Veteran's day. (kind of ironic, actually, as Dad was drafted, never really identified himself as part of the military, and for whatever reason, only very rarely spoke of his time in the military. And Neil has never been in the military.) But first I think that I thought of Mike Bloom and how many of us carry him. All those girls who remember Mike as their first love.  My daughter Maggie.  His parents and family.  So many friends. Will those numbers diminish over time?   The numbers won't, but the times that he is carried will. But then, someone will name a kid Mike and the carrying will continue on as the stories are told again. We all carry some people, I guess it is how we carry them that I am thinking about.  My Gramps died long before I had kids. She was the person who made me who I am. I tell my daughters about her, but have I told my other kids about her?  That they should honor her because without her there would have been no "house"?  Not harp on her, but mention her more.  And celebrate her every year on her birthday.  These ones that we carry have made us who we are, for better or for worse (and let's face it, some of it is worse and we need to remember, that, too).  So, in this times of darkness, remember who you carry.  I suspect that they still support us as we carry them.

new phone

means crocheting. I just got an iphone and ta -da, Craft magazine online has a piece on crocheting phone cases.  Clearly it was meant to be.  I had thought about getting a new phone for months, but last night it was an impulse thing coupled with a salesguy with a nice smile and a great attitude.

afghans and afghans, oh my

It's summer, which means that fair is just around the corner. My mile project will be on the back burner while I work on things to enter.  In the quest to use stuff up, I have made a baby blanket and a premie bonnet out of some Lion Brand stuff, used almost all that I have, yeah.  And then I started an adult afghan from the Vanna's choice...... and had to go buy more and that probably won't be enough, either.  I have a tendency to make large afghans, but that is because I used them and want to really be covered.   Oh, and a purse and hat and two coffee mug holders to felt.  I hope to get to that later today, after the needlepoint insanity.

International Yarn bombing day

Clearly I need to read more blogs, as I just found out about this on Friday, and the day itself was on Saturday. So, I hauled out some of my 6' lengths and frantically crocheted flowers.  Damascus, MD did get yarn bombed and if I had any idea of how to add pictures, you could see them.  Anyhow, go to the Damascus homepage on facebook.  Most have stayed up for a whole week, despite rain. As for the ones that I have disappeared, I truly hope that they will grace the neck of some chilly person next fall.