Ladybee's Buzz

PR Weekend 2011

2011-05-14T04:49:00.001-07:00

More pictures from PR Weekend in Chicago! Too many to post here, however, you can see them all here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladybee_51/sets/72157626585557649

Chicago, here I come!

2011-05-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

Plane leaves tomorrow at 1:17 PM, my large bag is packed, but I need to throw in a couple of things into the carry-on bag and everything will be ready to go!

Even after all I packed in that large pullman case, the bag weighed only 28 lbs. I have room enough for 12 lbs of fabric and/or yarn!

Camera is charged, so is cell phone. Will be taking pics and will try to post them from my laptop.

Train trip cancelled

2011-05-06T13:24:00.001-07:00

Today I got the dreaded call from Amtrak saying my May 11 trip had been cancelled. Therefore, I am now booked on a flight out of Lafayette on Thursday, scheduled to arrive at Midway airport at 6:24 PM.

After I booked the flight, I called Amtrak, didn't have to wait long to speak to an agent, and cancelled the rest of my ticket. They're giving me a full refund.

Now I have an extra day to pack!

Writer's block?

2011-04-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Blah blah blah blah...this is what Charlie Brown's teacher always says when he's in school. Did teachers really sound that way? I'm wondering if it's because the cartoonist (bless his soul), didn't really know what he wanted the teacher to say.

Well, to keep matters simple, I'm at a lost for words, so that's why I started this post with "blah blah blah". Since I retired, my life has become a day to day existence. Nothing much exciting going on. When I travel, there's nothing really worth mentioning here. But at least I can take pictures and share some of the sites with you.

Be on the lookout in a few weeks for a few pics from my trip to Chicago. I'm leaving May 11 on Amtrak. That is, if the flooding in MO and IL has ceased. As of now, they are experiencing a disruption in service. No thru trains from Memphis to Carbondale IL. The train stops in Memphis, then turns around and comes back to New Orleans. The train that leaves Chicago stops in Carbondale, turns around and goes back to Chicago. This leaves the passengers who have tickets to Chicago in a fog. Is Amtrak busing them from Memphis to Carbondale and vice versa? What route would they take if all the roads are flooded? Does anyone know?

If you've been on the City of New Orleans recently and have experienced anything out of the ordinary, please let me know!

Hopefully in two weeks the flood waters will have abated.

Thomas tote

2011-04-21T20:43:00.001-07:00

Thomas tote, a photo by ladybee_51 on Flickr.

This is one of the bags I made for my trip to Chicago on Amtrak. The other one will be available for sale while I'm on the train.

What Will They Think of Next?

2011-04-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

After a week at my Mom's, I came home and had occasion to eat at a local restaurant. I found this in the ladies' room:

Now why didn't I think of that? In fact, when I saw this sink I knew I wanted one! Isn't it cool?
You can see the actual item in the restrooms at Agave Mexican Grill & Cantina in downtown Lafayette LA.

Alive and well!

2011-03-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd finally write a note to let you know I'm still around. Haven't felt like writing a whole lot. I did go on my cruise (there are a few pics on my flickr page), and I'll be going on another knitting cruise in November, but it will be on a different ship, different cruise line. New Orleans is getting Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas in November, and I'll be on the first sailing out of New Orleans!

Hubby and I went on an Amtrak trip to AZ for the holidays. We stayed until Jan 2, then rode the train back to Lafayette. Here's a pic I took of our sleeper car:

Next week, I'm heading for Texas to visit my mom for a few days. She's 89, still lives by herself in an apartment, and doesn't drive any more. She has to depend on hired help to get her groceries, and once a week my sister goes and takes her places.

May 11, I'm taking the train again, without hubby, in order to attend this years PR Weekend which will be in Chicago. I'm driving to New Orleans to get on the "City of New Orleans". It arrives in Chicago the morning of May 12, and I'll leave Chicago on the 15th and arrive back in New Orleans on May 16.

Knitting wise, I did manage to finish a pair of socks last month. This is a pic of one of them:

Oh, I almost forgot! Hubby and I will be vacationing in Williamsburg VA in September! If you are in the Williamsburg area and would like a meet-up, please let me know!

Whew..I think I have told you what's been happening to me since I last posted. If I forgot anything, it will come to me, and I'll post about it later.

Pat H.

Latest bag & cruise

2010-10-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my latest bags, but certainly not the last, as I have to take a picture of it!

I have this bag entered in a contest on one of the embroidery sites.

Now on to the cruise! Only 4 days to go! We have our boarding passes, passports, and luggage tags all ready to go! All that's left to do is getting my wardrobe in order. Today I'm going to attempt to make myself a skirt, but the fabric is thin and will need a slip to go under it. So I'll have to go find one! That means a trip to Walmart first, and from there who knows?

Totes a plenty!

2010-10-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Since I bought my embroidery machine and sewing machine, I've been using both for creating tote bags! I've been fortunate in that we have several sources for fabric in this area. When I spot a fabric that would look cute as a tote, I choose an embroidery design that works with it. The latest one is this one:

The one I finished before this was this one:

The totes I'm making will be part of my inventory for a craft show in November. I'm sharing a booth with another lady at the Omelet Festival in Abbeville. You can find out info on the Omelet Festival by going here:

http://www.giantomelette.org/

What's left after the festival will be available for sale on my Etsy site.

Knitting Cruise!

2010-09-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

At long last, I'm going to go on a Caribbean cruise! I've booked passage on the Carnival Triumph through Vermilion Bay Yarn Co and the Travel Machine who are organizing the activities.

AND, I've talked my sister into going with me! The ship will dock in Key West, and she's always wanted to go there, but none of the cruises that she's been on with her hubby have gone there.
The ship will embark from New Orleans and stop in Key West before going on to Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas.

I've been to Freeport TWICE, but flew both times. Hubby and I have a membership at a resort there (Ocean Reef). We use the membership for exchange through RCI. It will be interesting to see what changes have been made in Freeport since I was last there in 1995.

First day at sea will be class day. I am taking two classes, both taught by the yarn shop owner, Jason. One class will involve knitting a lace shawl, the other is on fixing mistakes.

Have you ever been on a knitting cruise? Let's hear your comments, if you have. What did you like or dislike about your cruise? I will tell you this that they've assigned us a balcony cabin on deck 6, which is right above Lido deck. I checked the layout and discovered that it's right above a night club! I hope it's not too noisy! Maybe my sister and I should bring ear plugs?

New pattern by me! Enjoy!

2010-09-07T20:22:00.001-07:00

I've been making these for a local craft show. Very simple, only four rounds. Thought I'd give you the pattern so you can make your own if you need some quick items for a bazaar or fundraiser.

You will need:

Worsted weight cotton yarn, color of your choice
G hook

1. Ch 4 (ch 3 counts as a dc), make 11 dc in 4th ch from hook, sl st in top of ch 3 to join.

2. Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc's in each dc around. Sl st in top of ch 3 to join.

3. Ch 4, dc in next st, (ch 1, dc in next dc) around, end with ch 1, sl st in 3rd ch of the first ch 4 to join.

4. Ch 1, sc in same st, 2 sc in next sp, (sc in next st, 2 sc in next sp) around, end with sl st in first sc, ch 10 for loop, sl st in same st, end off.

I fixed my embroidery machine!

2010-08-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

For a while now, I'd been having problems with my threads shredding somewhere in the machine. I thought it was bad thread, but yesterday I found the culprit! With the help of hubby's LED flashlight, I was able to spot a loop of thread lurking in the hole of the take up lever. So, after enlisting the aid of a straight pin and my trusty tweezers, I was able to nab the varmint! It's now resting with it's buddies in file 13.

Also, I've been crocheting dishcloths to sell at a craft show in Nov. I'm working a booth with a friend of mine. We're both making different things so as not to compete with each other.

At long last, I'm posting again!

2010-08-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

Yes! I'm back! I'm not sure what I'm going to be talking about in future posts. There are so many things I can expound on. I've learned out to use my embroidery machine for one thing. Also, I have a new sewing machine I've been having fun with.

If you'd like to see some of the things I've been making, you can visit my Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladybee_51

The latest thing I've made is a bag to take to bunco. I finished it in time for the monthly bunco night, however there were only 6 of us who showed up, so all we did was eat and talk. We have played with as few as 10 ladies before, and sometimes 9, but 6 is not enough (the ideal no. is 12).

Here's the pic of the pocket area of the bag:

Sorry it's so fuzzy. I used the zoom feature on my camera, and I guess my hand wasn't steady enough when I snapped the photo.

My mom isn't doing so well these days. It's a long story, but to make it short, she fell three times in one week, is recuperating from bruises, but is afraid to go anywhere because she's afraid she'll fall again due to a balance problem she's having. She's applied for home health, and she'll get that for 2 months while recuperating from her falls.

Now that I've gotten past writer's block, I'll be updating this blog more often.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

2010-04-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

New items have been posted on my Etsy page since my last post! Today I added a totebag I finished today! It's the Chicken Bag!

See link at right if you wish to know more.

Message from flickr today

2010-03-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I received a message from flickr.com today announcing that Simplicity Patterns picked my photo of a project I made from their pattern for their flickr gallery. You can see it here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplicitypatterns/galleries/72157623722904916

I'm now on Etsy!

2010-03-24T13:02:00.001-07:00

Today I created my very own Etsy shop! I have only 2 items listed so far, but will add more later.
You can find it at:

http://ladybee.etsy.com

P.S. Item #3 has been added!

March, 2010

2010-03-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

It's almost Easter! Do you have a neat idea for Easter projects? I came across an easy one here:

http://www.favecrafts.com/Felt/Cross-Felt-Ornament

We're doing this at the Crafty Ladies of Lafayette gathering on Monday.

Also, I went to a seminar at Hancock Fabrics recently sponsored by Bernina. It was about the proper use of stabilizers, how to embroider on towels, baby items, etc.

I'm planning to visit my mom sometime in April, depending on when she can get an appointment for a medical procedure she needs to get done. She will need someone to drive her to the clinic on the day of the test, and having gone through this myself, I know what she'll be going through.
Hopefully the test will turn out negative.

Note 4/28/2010: Mom decided not to have the test done as it would be hard on her because of her age. I did go for a visit though. Had an uneventful trip.

Finally!

2010-02-14T08:51:00.001-08:00

Wow! Where did January go? It's the middle of February already!

We made it to AZ and back okay, came back with bags of oranges from my daughter's trees (she has three of them in her back yard).

Did some embroidery on my new machine while we were there, also sewing with the new sewing machine.

Anyhow, I have a Valentine for you that I created with my digitizer.

I've been doing a lot more sewing since we got back from our trip to AZ. Plus I'll be using the digitizing program for new designs. Just wish I was a graphic artist, but I can't draw worth a flip!

Later...

December update

2009-12-20T18:35:00.001-08:00

Well, a month has gone by since my last post. Not a whole lot to report on. Except that I now have a new sewing machine! In fact, we're leaving tomorrow for Mesa AZ for the holidays and I'm bringing the new machine and my Janome Sew-Mini with me to AZ and will leave the Sew-Mini there for my daughter and granddaughters to use. I hope to teach the older one a bit about sewing.

The machine I bought is a Brother CS-770, which doesn't have any reviews I can find. I bought it at Hancock Fabrics on sale. It's computerized, and has a lot more fancy stitches on it than I'll ever use (I do have an embroidery machine, you know).

Hope you all have peace and joy this holiday season!

New toy!

2009-11-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

Time for the monthly update!

Since I posted last, I've been playing with my new serger, but the biggest news is that last Sunday I bought a brand new embroidery machine! It's a Brother PE-770. It has over 100 designs in the machine and has a USB port for a memory stick so I can transport designs from my computer to the machine.

I've also been acquiring free patterns from the web. You would not believe the amount of free machine embroidery patterns there are out there!

Also have gotten a digitizer program (also free with purchase of 5 patterns). I have successfully digitized a logo for one of the organizations my hubby belongs to. Hopefully they'll want to embroider it on shirts and caps, but my machine isn't equipped for caps yet (it requires a special attachment).

Back home again!

2009-10-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

After leaving Humble TX (where the reunion was), I drove to an IHOP in Houston to meet with my sister and brother-in-law before we went different directions to go home.

LOL! I now know why the chemistry teacher remembered my brother-in-law! He was at BIL's reunion two years ago and BIL spoke with him! I had not known this, and the ex-teacher said nothing about it.

Anyhow, I'm back home again!

Happy stitching!

After Chain Link!

2009-10-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

No, I have not dropped off the face of the earth. I am still alive and well and living in Louisiana!

We had a marvelous time in NY and Virginia. Hubby found he likes the EAS much better than the AHP, so we'll be going east for meetings for a while. Next year his will be in Boone NC, but I doubt that's where Chain Link will be, unless they decide on Charlotte or Raleigh. I don't think it's ever been in NC, but there's always hope!

I won't post any pictures of chain link here because they're all on my flickr site! To see them, please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladybee_51

Before going to Chain Link I bought a serger on sale at Hancock Fabrics. The serger has been working fine, but I wish the store would have offered classes on what to do with it!

I also got my old Kenmore sewing machine running! At first it wouldn't zigzag like it was supposed to. I was about to take it to the repair shop when my hubby asked to see it, having a suspicion that it needed oiling. He opened up the top, wiggled a few things around and then found the part that needed oil! After applying the machine oil, he wiggled the offending part back and forth several times to loosen it up. I'm happy to say that the machine is now working just fine! He sure saved me a big repair bill!

Right now I'm typing this while at a high school reunion of sorts. It's an annual thing put on by one of my classmates. One of the attendees I'm showing here was my chemistry teacher when I was in high school. I mentioned my brother-in-law's name and he actually remembered him!

Buffalo, here I come!

2009-08-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, hubby and I are leaving by car for Buffalo NY, where I will be attending the summer Knit & Crochet Show!

I am going as a member of the Crochet Guild of America. I have been crocheting up a storm so I can have things to wear at the events that are planned.

If you're in the Buffalo area and would like a fun place to go, the show is being held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. The market area will be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, August 7-9. There will be crochet and knitting classes offered, some now sold out. I'll be taking 5 classes, one on dyeing yarn blanks, and two classes each on knitting and crochet.

Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures of the events, as I will be taking my laptop with me.
Stay tuned!

Home again!

2009-07-15T16:44:00.001-07:00

Mom improved so much during my stay that I was able to come back home on Monday, July 13.
Her car, however, wasn't so lucky. It broke down 3 times last Thursday. I was driving, Mom was the passenger. We decided to call an AAA wrecker on the advice of my sister, who came to pick up Mom and take her to her home until the wrecker could get there.

I had to wait for the wrecker, but I was lucky in that we were close to a Pizza Hut and I was allowed to wait there for the wrecker.

All that was wrong with it was an over-heating logic chip.

Mom got her car back yesterday and will try to drive it Friday when she goes to the beauty shop.

Mom Update #3

2009-07-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Mom is doing a lot better than I thought she would.

I arrived Thursday evening in Lockhart. My sister had picked her up from the hospital and were already at Mom's apartment when I got here.

Last night Mom had her first shower after getting home, but I had to help her in and out of the tub and dry her off.
This morning, after a good night's sleep, she felt better and even managed to cook her own breakfast!

She still gets tired quickly and has to take naps frequently, but hopefully her strength will improve daily.
I still don't know how long I'll be here, but my sister did need a break after all the driving back and forth she's done lately.

On the road again!

2009-07-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'll most likely be heading for Texas. Mom thinks she's being released from the hospital tomorrow, which means someone will have to stay with her to chauffeur her around at first.
She can use a walker, but needs help getting up from her bed in order to use it.

She's now been moved to a different hospital room, probably what's called a "transitionary" room, since it has it's own bathroom with shower, and there are no machines going beep beep during the night to keep her awake.

Her diarrhea has seemed to have quit, since she says her stool is not runny like it was and it's not green.

I'll know more in the morning, because I told her to call me when she has spoken to the doctor.

Update on Mom #2

2009-06-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hooray, hooray! The results are in!

They finally found the culprit!

It was a salmonella infection!

Hopefully her recovery will go smoothly.

Mom update

2009-06-29T13:22:00.001-07:00

Mom's kidneys finally kicked in. That was one of the main worries. The lab results indicated she wasn't contagious. However, she still has the diarrhea which doesn't seem to be lessening any.
Over the weekend, they started treating her for a urinary infection, which probably helped start her kidneys.

At noon today she was scheduled for a colonoscopy. Hopefully I'll know the results by the end of the day.

Mother

2009-06-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

My mother was put in the hospital yesterday. She's a bit better today, since she now is being pumped with fluids, but still has the diarrhea she had when she went in. The lab report hasn't come back yet, but they think it's some sort of bacteria that is causing it, but until they know for sure, they haven't started any antibiotics yet.

Mom is 87 yrs old. She likes living by herself, and is the last person to admit she needs help, but we do what we can. My sister lives 30 minutes away by car from where Mom lives, but I live in the next state and takes me 4-5 hours to drive there by car.

I hope tomorrow will shed some light on the situation. The nurse I talked to today seemed concerned because they think she's in early renal failure. She hasn't urinated since she was admitted. Dehydration does that I'm told.

Funny call on cell phone

2009-06-02T06:51:00.001-07:00

Today's funny:

I got an interesting call on my cell phone this morning and thought I'd share. Here's how it went:

Me: Hello
Caller: Hi, how are you
Me: Okay
Caller: Where are you?
Me: At home
Caller: What are you doing there?
Me: Where else would I be?
Caller: Not going to work?
Me: I don't work any more, I'm retired.
Caller: Oh my, sorry, I think I have the wrong number
Me: I guess you do!

Click!

Never did get that guy's name! Strange that he doesn't know what his wife (or his friend) sounds like on the phone!

Granny a la Harper

2009-05-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is the second free pattern that is also on my Geocities site. Enjoy!

Granny a la Harper

The above model was made by Lee Ann Hamm of Baton Rouge, LA. Nice job, Lee Ann!
Above is a pic of what it looks like in different colors, compliments of Patti Fix of Colorado

Materials:

Worsted weight yarn, any color

Size H8 (5 MM) hook

Note: The starting chain in any round will count as one stitch.

Ch 4, sl st in first ch to make a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch3, make 15 dc's in ring, join with sl st in top of ch 3 to join. (16)

Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in same space as joining, 2 dc in each dc around. Sl st in top
of turning chain. (32)

Rnd 3. Ch 4, dc in same space, ch 1,* skip next dc, (dc, ch 1, dc) in next st
(v-stitch made), ch 1. Repeat from * around, ending with a sl st in 3rd ch of
starting ch 4. (16 v-stitches)

Rnd 4. Sl st in first v-stitch. Ch 6, trc in same space,* ch 1, 3 dc in next v-stitch, ch 1, 3 sc in next v-stitch, ch 1, 3 dc in next v-stitch, ch 1, (trc, ch2, trc) in next v-stitch (corner made). Repeat from * twice. Ch 1, 3 dc in next v-stitch, ch 1, 3 sc in next v-stitch, ch 1, 3 dc in next v-stitch, ch 1, sl st in 4th ch of turning chain to join.

Rnd 5: Ch 3, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in corner space, *dc in next trc, dc in next sp, ch 1, (3 dc in next space, ch 1) twice, dc in next space, dc in next trc, (3 dc, ch 2, 3dc) in corner space. Repeat from * twice more. Dc in next trc, dc in next space, ch 1,(3dc in next space, ch 1) twice, dc in next space. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of starting ch. Fasten off.

Note: This square measured exactly 6 inches when I made it. Feel free to
change hook size if your tension is too tight or loose.

Where Have I Been?

2009-05-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

I'll be you've been asking that question!

The first week in May, I drove to the hill country in Texas to visit my mother and sister for a few days. I did manage to hit a couple of yarn shops, namely the Old Oaks Ranch in Wimberley TX, and the Yellow Sweater in Buda TX.

On the way home I stopped at Yarntopia in Katy TX. I'd been looking for this shop for a couple of years now, and finally, the GPS unit I had with me found it! It's located in the Cinco Ranch Shopping Center on S Mason Rd.

Of course lots of yarn came home with me! I've already started a pair of socks with the yarn I bought at Old Oaks Ranch, and a sweater with the yarn I found at Yarntopia.

While at my mother's, I finished this:

Mom's new shawl, made from Lion Brand Pound of Love, designer Doris Chan.

And, since I had intended it for me, I had to make another one! So today I finished this:

My new shawl, made with Dark Horse Fantasy, color #47

The Yarn Nook in Lafayette LA had gotten in a new shipment of Dark Horse yarns on Wednesday last, and when I went to knit night that night, I bought an entire bag of this color so I could make the shawl. I thought I'd need the entire bag, but as it turned out I have two full skeins plus part of a 3rd that was left over, so I'm thinking of making a scarf to match.
I'll have to design the scarf myself, as the shawl was designed by Doris Chan, and I don't think she's even thought of a matching scarf for it! I'll post a pic when I have it finished.

Scrunchie!

2009-05-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

Yahoo has decided to close down Geocities, where I have a few of my original patterns. Therefore I will be slowly moving them from there to here. The first one I've chosen for you is a scrunchie.

Post Stitch Scrunchie

Materials:

Large elastic hair band (I use Goody brand)

Size G hook

Worsted weight yarn (Red Heart Classic used in model)

Special Stitches:

FPDC = front post double crochet
Y/O, insert hook to right of the post of the next stitch (left if you're a lefty), then around the back of the post and out the front, y/o and draw through 2 loops, y/o and draw through remaining two loops.

BPDC = back post double crochet
Y/O, insert hook from back to front to the right of the post of next st (left if you're a lefty), then bring around front and through to the back. Y/O and complete dc as usual.

FPSC = front post single crochet
Sc around the post of the next stitch, inserting the hook from front to back and around the post to the front.

BPSC= back post single crochet
Sc around the post of the next stitch, inserting the hook from the back to the front and around the post to back.

Pattern:

Rnd 1: Make slip knot on hook, sc around entire band until it is filled, usually about
30 sc's, but make sure it's an even number. Sl st in 1st sc to join.

Rnd 2: Ch3, make 2 dc's in same st, then make 3 dc in each sc around, end with sl st in top of ch 3.

Rnd 3: Ch 3, (FPDC in next dc, BPDC in next dc)around until you have 1 st left. FPDC around that dc and end with sl st in top of ch 3.

Rnd 4: Ch 1, FPSC around post of ch 3 of row below, then * ch 3, BPSC around post of next dc, ch 3, FPSC around post of next dc. Repeat from * around, end with ch 3, sl st in first sc to join.

I hope you enjoy making this scrunchie. If you are a beginning crocheter, I hope it's easy to figure out. Please let me know if you have problems with it. It's different from any I've seen. Any resemblance to this one and one already in existence is purely concidental.

Too hot for knitting!

2009-05-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

South Louisiana this time of year is hot and humid! I could swear it was in the 80's or 90's today.
Even the birds weren't flying around much.

It was so hot that I didn't care at all about knitting anything, although I did get a few rows done on a keyhole scarf and got a couple of rows done on some heel flaps.

We do have air conditioning, but it's still too hot to think about making anything with yarn.

Also, I'm looking forward to a trip to Texas on Monday to visit my mom and sis. I'll be gone until Friday, and will take laptop with me in case I get a chance to connect to the web.

Crocheted lace

2009-04-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

I found this project in an issue of Interweave crochet, so am making it with some cotton from my stash. The yarn has a metallic looking fiber in it and it looks really snazzy.

Thanks to all for the comments about the scam calls. I'm still getting them, however not as frequently. One time I just didn't answer. Another time I pressed the pound (#) key several times and they hung up. Hopefully between the two, they'll finally get the message!

Bogus phone calls...grrr!

2009-04-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

Recently telemarketers have been calling my cell phone telling me my car warranty has or is going to be expired. This is a SCAM! I have no idea how to get them to stop calling me! Hubby said for me to store the number or numbers in my phone and assign them the name "Do Not Answer" so that if they call, I'll know not to answer it. Hopefully after a history of unanswered calls, they'll remove my number. Will this work? I don't know, but I'll give it a shot. Can't hurt anything.

In case you would like to know the number they're calling from, it is:

562-223-8826

Also, got a call from someone purportedly selling burial insurance. I pressed the # key several times and they HUNG UP! Maybe this is the cure! I'd heard that if a computer calls you to do this and it will think a fax machine has answered and will remove you from their database.

Tax Return is Finished!

2009-04-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

Finally got to doing the tax return today. Actually, we'd already figured out that we were getting a refund, it was just a matter of making sure everything was filled in correctly and all the numbers were in the right place. I did find a couple of things that needed to be filled in.

I went to the IRS site to see if I could qualify for e-filing. They still won't let you do it yourself. You have to go through a licensed e-filer to do it. However, I DID discover that hubby had forgotten to figure out the recovery rebate credit for this year. We did get a stimulus payment last year, so I was surprised to learn that we were eligible for a rebate of $267!

Paperwork was signed and the envelope is by now being mailed by hubby at the post office.

We opted for direct deposit this year, which is safer because it gets to your bank account faster and there's no chance of your check getting stolen.

New needles!

2009-04-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the week, I ordered a set of the Harmony interchangeable needles from Knitpicks. I used the gift certificate my daughter had sent me for my birthday, along with some of my own money.

I'd been keeping tabs on the shipment and the last I looked (which was this morning), it was still enroute from Mississippi.

Today I took two other ladies with me to the Lake Charles knitting group gathering, and when I returned about 6 PM, I found the package waiting for me!

I'm a bit disappointed in that there are no connectors to join cables together like there are in the Denise needle set. One CAN order longer cables, so I supposed that's what I'll have to do if I want to knit items with a lot of stitches.

However, the needle tips are gorgeous, and I like the clear pouch that comes with the set so that you can see what's there.

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-04-03T16:09:00.001-07:00

When I woke up this morning, I was another year older. How old do you ask? Hmm...I've been telling everyone that I'm 16, but they don't believe me. One of my old classmates wished me another "Happy 39th birthday". Oh to be 39 again! Geez.. that would mean my daughter would be 19 and living in MA again!

Anyway, here's what I did today:

Washed a load of laundry, put them in dryer.

Went to lunch with hubby (we ate boiled crayfish).

Went to the LYS and bought some new yarn for another sweater: Here's a preview:

Then, when I got home and opened my email this is what I found:

The gift certificate was sent to me by my daughter. Wasn't she a sweetie?

Now I have a decision to make! What to get with this. If you have any thoughts on this, please leave a comment!

Baby Sweaters!

2009-03-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

These are the items I'm selling at the craft market this weekend.
I've posted a pic of one of these before but now I have a model (a Daisy Kingdom doll).
Sorry they're a bit dark, because if I'd used the flash, there would have been too much of a glare.

Knitted sweater. Yarn is Premier Angel, self-shading.

Crocheted sweater. Peach baby yarn I had in my stash.

Knitted sweater. Red Heart Soft Baby, New Mint Twinkle

Crocheted baby puff stitch hat, pattern on web.

Yarn for both sweater and hat is Bernat Baby Jacquard,
#06317 Easter Basket.

Still here!

2009-03-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

I'm still here, just trying to finish up a baby sweater for this week's craft show. So far I've made 3 knitted baby sweaters, and need to finish up a another one that's crocheted for a craft market this weekend.
Also crocheted a baby hat from the same yarn that I used for a knitted baby sweater.

The bruises I incurred due to my fall on St. Paddy's Day are slowly fading. The ones on my arms are gone, it's just the knees that are still discolored.

Will post more when I have pics.

Feb Lady Sweater Finished!

2009-03-27T13:41:00.001-07:00

It's finished! I sewed the buttons on today and had my neighbor take a picture:

February Lady part 2

2009-03-25T21:26:00.001-07:00

Tonight was knit night at the LYS. I worked on this for most of the afternoon.
The end is near! I've finished one sleeve, now working on the other. Here's a peek:

Hubby is a sweetie, but don't tell him I said so. I called him from the yarn shop and said I'd pick up dinner and wouldn't be TOO late.

When I got home I had good news for him. I won the door prize! It was a $20 gift certificate.

Hello, floor!

2009-03-21T17:57:00.001-07:00

Last Tuesday I had to greet my kitchen floor. Slipped and fell face forward while carrying a cup of hot coffee. Was not fun! Cut my chin, bruised both knees, right arm and hand, also my left hand has a bruise on it. Thank goodness no bones were broken.

That same evening I had to go to a Red Hat bingo and thankfully someone else called the numbers.
Will post updates on projects later.

Baby things

2009-03-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I've gotten into the baby clothes thing. Here are two sweaters I finished recently, one of them needing buttons:

In addition to the above, I have a crocheted one that needs a sleeve finished, and another knitted one on the needles. And before you ask, NO I AM NOT EXPECTING! I'm 60 yrs old and a grandma.

Actually I think the baby thing started when hubby's niece had her first baby. I decided to knit a sweater for the newborn, and I couldn't stop!

Anyone else make something that they didn't know what to do with?

Crochet vs. Knitting

2009-03-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

Lately there has been talk on Crochet Partners about the attitude that some knitters have toward crocheters. I wonder where this started and why? Some say it started way back when the well-to-do ladies knitted with fine yarns, while their maids had to crochet to make extra money.

And why is it that some knitters who only know how to knit snub their noses when they see someone crocheting? Those of us who crochet certainly don't feel the same when seeing someone knitting! Could it be that the knitters who only know how to knit are jealous because they don't know how to crochet?

Crochet and knitting both require the use of yarn or thread, so I don't know why after all these years there is still a look of horror on some knitters' faces when they find out you're a crocheter!
Even some yarn shop owners refuse to sell to crocheter. The shop owner is losing out on sales by not selling yarn to ANYONE who wants to buy it, no matter what you're going to do with it.
I can imagine someone going into a yarn shop and buying a lovely yarn with the intention of using it for staking tomatoes because it would "look pretty" in the garden.

Hmm...now that's an idea on what to do with your oddball skeins of fun fur! Use it to stake your tomato plants!

Since I both knit AND crochet, I can go to any yarn shop and buy yarn and not feel like an idiot when I see all the ladies there with knitting needles. I can knit with the best of them.
I will say this, though. If I don't see anything regarding crochet in a yarn shop, I don't even MENTION crochet because I know the owner is not crochet friendly.

Thank goodness the shop I go to has yarns that will work with knitting or crochet, even though they may a bit more expensive than the yarns you get at a big box store.

Yesterday I bought several skeins of Cascade Sierra for CROCHETING a shawl with it. I can crochet a shawl much faster than I can knit it, but knitting one is more challenging. However, if I want it done quickly, it has to be crocheted.

Crochet Guild night

2009-03-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight is our monthly crochet guild meeting. Our chapter is the "Cajun Crocheters". It meets at a municipal activity center.

I decided to make a batch of 7-layer bars to take to the meeting. Here's a preview:

To make these, I used a recipe from www.cooks.com . There are several variations for making these 7-layer bars, but they all contain the same ingredients:

One stick of butter, 1 cup each of graham cracker crumbs, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and chopped walnuts, and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

Favorite Yarn Shop

2009-03-07T12:25:00.001-08:00

Do you have a favorite yarn shop you like to keep going back to even though you don't need yarn? This is the one I prefer to go to.

This one is the Yarn Nook, located in the Oil Center in Lafayette LA. In the back of the store there's a large seating area where you can go in and work on your project whenever you feel the urge (as long as the store is open).

On Wednesday nights, they're open late for Knit Night.

Feb. Lady Sweater

2009-02-23T18:26:00.000-08:00

This is the one I've been working on. I'm knitting it with Cascade Sierra.

Hello, Garmin!

2009-02-23T18:19:00.001-08:00

After the Magellan was stolen (see previous post), I decided that I wanted something small enough to fit in my purse.

See what I found at Best Buy!

Sorry the screen is so blurry. Guess my camera wasn't set properly.

Bye, bye Magellan!

2009-02-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

I had the occasion to call the Sheriff's Dept this afternoon. Hubby found out that someone had lifted his GPS unit right out of his console in the truck, so he told me to go check to see if mine was there.

It wasn't. It was taken out of the glove compartement after they had opened the console to look for it there. Both the console and the glove compartment were wide open. They must have come in the middle of the night because we didn't see anyone around this morning nor last night before we went to bed.

I suppose if we had locked our vehicles we'd still have them, but as it were, they were parked in our own driveway so we didn't lock them.

My next GPS will be a Tomtom that I can slip into my purse!

Ramblings

2009-02-19T04:21:00.000-08:00

Oh gosh, where do I start!

I'm almost done with the yoke of the February Lady Sweater. Just a few more increase rows and I can figure out the eyelet row.

Started a new scarf yesterday. I cast on 112 stitches of one yarn on size 6 needles, did garter stitch for 5 rows, then attached another yarn in a matching color and did a 2 x 2 rib by knitting or purling 2 tog across the row with size 4 needles to end up with 56 stitches. By doing this I have a nice ruffle along the short side of the scarf. Will post a pic when I get farther along on it.

Got a few more rows done on the gator scarf.

Yesterday was workshop day at the Yarn Nook, and I worked on my lace shawl for a while.
Got all of pattern 8 done, and a few rows of pattern 9. There are 13 patterns in all, so I'm almost there! After all 13 sections are done, then I have to add a border to the sides.

Also in progress are the Tootie Frootie socks . I posted a pic previously.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I went to a baby shower for my hubby's niece and gave her this:

Lots of oohs and ahhs from the ladies present. I don't know if niece appreciated the handiwork, but others did. I even got a request to make another one like it for the next baby in the family.

The pattern is in a Leisure Arts leaflet called "Snuggle Squares", name of the pattern is "Flowers & Lace".

New KAL project

2009-02-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

I've started a monster! Well, it's not my pattern, nor my idea, but I joined a KAL at the LYS yesterday. The February Lady Sweater, pattern link on Ravelry.

Anyone else doing this project? Want to KAL with me when I'm not at the LYS?

I'm using Cascade Sierra in a blue-gray color, more of a lt blue than gray.

The baby blanket I was making with Berroco Comfort is now finished. I'll take a pic of it before I wrap it up for the baby shower on Saturday.

Another sock project!

2009-02-08T16:30:00.001-08:00

These are the socks I started after finishing the Diamantes. I'm using a pattern from the book "Socks a la Carte" called Oh, Baby! but I think I'll call these "Tootie Frootie" instead. The colors in the yarn remind me of Tutti Frutti ice cream for some reason.

What do you think? BTW, the yarn has metallic sparklies in it, but you can't see them in the picture. I took it with the camera in my cell phone.

More work ahead?

2009-02-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

Recently, mother-in-law was wearing a pair of socks I gave her, and someone asked her about them. When she told the person I had made them, the lady said "Oh, I want to learn how to knit socks!". Evidently she already knits, but has never knitted socks.

The lady in question is a relative of my mother-in-law, but I've never met her. She's a librarian in a Catholic school, so she'll probably wait until summer. And she also lives in another town 20 minutes from here.

Today (Sunday) I'm going with a friend to a Red Hat luncheon. It's really the annual mother/daughter luncheon for a chapter I belong to, but since my daughter lives in AZ now, I'm taking one of the gals in the other chapter I belong to.

And then there were two!

2009-02-04T16:14:00.000-08:00

After sitting at the local yarn shop all day I finally finished the mate to the one I posted about previously. Here you see them mounted on Sarah's feet. I promised these socks to Sarah at the birthday party we had for her at the shop. She loves them!

If they look darker in this pic, it's because I took the pic with my cell phone, not my camera. I also darkened the picture a bit with a photo editor.

Single Sock Syndrome? Not me!

2009-02-01T16:01:00.001-08:00

SSS is what you have when you have finished one sock of a pair, however it won't apply to me because I've been working on the mate to this one! I'm already on the leg, working my way to the cuff.

It's a toe-up pattern from www.knitty.com called "Diamante".

New Yard Toy!

2009-01-31T15:06:00.001-08:00

How do you like our new yard toy? I found it on sale at Hobby Lobby for 1/2 price!
It's hanging from a tree branch in our front yard.

Update came!

2009-01-30T15:15:00.001-08:00

The update for my Magellan GPS came today.

This is what the screen looks like when it's being updated:

According to their software, it takes about 2 hours to update. Then the maps will hopefully be current!

Chain Link!

2009-01-26T11:48:00.001-08:00

The Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) is having its next Chain Link conference in August in Buffalo NY.
For the first time since I've been a CGOA member, I AM GOING!

Hubby and I will be driving up since it's cheaper than both of us flying there. However, it will take 2-3 days to get there from Louisiana.

The conference will be held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. You can get more info about the conference at CGOA's website http://www.crochet.org

At the same time there's going to be a Knit & Crochet Show which is held in conjunction with Knitting Guild of America.

If you happen to be going to that event, please let me know and maybe we can all get together one night!

Red Hat happenings

2009-01-23T19:26:00.001-08:00

Some of you might know that I'm a card carrying member of the Red Hat Society. You can see me in the above picture (I'm the one holding the doll). That's my friend, Dee, sitting on the "throne".

We had an outing to the State Capitol building in Baton Rouge and then to Oak Alley Plantation for a buffet luncheon.

Yarn addiction?

2009-01-20T21:16:00.001-08:00

Have you ever gone into a yarn shop and not noticed a particular color of yarn only to go in several days later and it simply calls out to you? That happened to me today. I went to the same yarn shop I'd been going to and did see that there was new yarn on display, but lo and behold, a variegated merino yarn caught my eye and I simply could not resist picking up two balls of it.
I really don't know how I missed it before!

The yarn is Ornaghi Filati Merino Kind in color #7. Sorry I don't have a picture of it yet to show you.
LYS owner says it's self striping, so it should make some interesting socks.

Someone on Ravelry made a pair of stockinette socks with a different colorway and it does stripe.
She used size 3 needles, but I prefer a tighter fabric, so I'll use size 2.

New blog!

2009-01-18T10:07:00.001-08:00

I should have made this my first post on the new blog instead of the one about the bar at the Radisson in Fresno.

I've moved here from Yahoo 360. I don't think there's a way to move the blog posts from Yahoo, so will start out fresh here. A lot of my project pics are still on Flickr, so you can see them there.

http://www.flickr.com/ladybee_51

I'm also on Ravelry as Labeelady.

Radisson Hotel, Fresno CA

2009-01-17T19:47:00.001-08:00

The above is a shot of the bar in the Radisson Hotel in Fresno. See the
lighted square above the bar? That's one of the elevators!

It was a nice hotel, only it was freezing! The only place I could go to warm up was our room underneath the covers!