From The Craft Room

While browsing around the Internet yesterday, I found an article that September 12th is International Crochet Day. I wish I had found this sooner.

So, what did I do to celebrate? I had planned to go to the park at crochet, but Mother Nature had other ideas with the arrival of some much-needed rain yesterday and today. Oh, well. I crocheted in front of the television while watching Regis and Kelly and I’ll crochet in public later when Marcus and I go to Wing Stop for dinner. I always bring a knitting or crochet project every Friday night. I still have my crochet sun hat to finish (though my plans of having it finished before Summer was over are shot to heck). Either that, or I’ll keep working on my Rust Goes Green market bags. I didn’t like the way the colors I had picked out were looking together, so I found a better match for the variegated and will get some more green to make a second one solid.

Speaking of plans shot to heck, I didn’t finish squat for the Summer KAL-CAL. Between the surgery and work, I didn’t complete either of the bag projects I started. Oh, well. There will be a Holiday KAL-CAL, so hopefully I can finish something for that.

Speaking of crochet, Robyn Chachula is going to be in the Denver area in late September. I’m particularly interested in taking the crocheted sock class she will be teaching on Friday, September 26th down at Purls of Wisdom down in Parker. I’ll be signing up for that class tomorrow when I head down there to visit.

One thing I’d like to complain about: The variety of colors of cotton yarn in this town kind of sucks. The national craft store chains carry a very limited number of colors of the Sugar ‘n’ Cream, as does Wal-Mart with the Peaches ‘n’ Cream. Even most of the yarn stores carry very little cotton and the ones that do carry the higher end stuff. I’m not making dishcloths and the like out of good yarn. It’s kind of a pain when you have a particular idea in mind and can’t find the yarn. I hate ordering online without seeing it first. I’m thinking I’ll have to get one of the Peaches color cards.

Sorry I keep forgetting to post here. Twelve hour work days and wanting to punch co-workers to knock some sense into them makes me brain dead.

Dad and I had a blast at the Stitch ‘N’ Pitch event a couple of weekends ago. I got to sit next to a guy that wanted to actually talk about the game — the WHOLE GAME! Sadly, I didn’t get as much accomplished as I had hoped. I did add several rows to my crochet sunhat and a few rows to my alpaca scarf. I was bummed that there were going to be no “goodie bags” this year (as I didn’t even know about the event to go last year). Fortunately, since it takes Dad so long to get around, we got there really early and I got one of the leftover bags from last year. Yay! We got a copy of the Fall Interweave Knits, a nice purple Rockies cap and free yarn from Knit Knack. If only the darned Rockies would have won. Hrmph.

Well, I don’t know if it will be done by the end of the Summer Kal-Cal, but I’m finally making headway on my Market Bag. I’ll try to remember to snap some progress pics tomorrow and post them. I’ve done about a dozen of the 70 rows of knit stitch I need to do (after finishing the Intarsia arrows) until I reach the top of the bag. Then I need to make the handles, felt it and I’m all done. I looked all over town (even the army surplus store in Arvada) for the slide buckles the pattern calls for. I even was willing to use something similar, but just couldn’t find anything local. I finally ordered some online from a place called Creative Designworks. The site actually sells supplies to make pet collars. Shipping was included and they took Paypal. Hopefully they will arrive soon (at least by the time I get to making the handles).

To help out keeping track of where I am row-wise, I purchased the Clover row counter I’ve been wanting at Hobby Lobby. I’ve been waiting for what seems like weeks for Needlework stuff to be on sale so that I could get it. I splurged on the more expensive one because it has a lock button. One is supposed to wear it around one’s neck, but I put a keyring on it and attached it to the beginning row marker. Hopefully, I’ll remember to add a row as I move the marker (that’s the plan, anyway).

Speaking of Hobby Lobby, they are so stuck in the 20th century. Why in the heck would that company invest in a new cash register system, but still not take advantage of technology that uses the bar codes? Everything is still priced with price tags, all merchandise is rung up one at a time by hand and now they have to pick an appropriate department for each item. Cashiers keep asking which department you got stuff in (if they don’t know). Also, it’s getting old “reminding” the poor cashiers that certain items are on sale. If they would utilize freaking scanners and a computer database, they would have all that information at their fingertips. It’s one of the reasons that their checkout lines get so long. More than once I’ve dumped items at the front and just left rather than dealing with the checkout hassle. Lame.

Speaking of lame, I can’t remember if I already posted this, but the Hobby Lobby on Monaco/Mississippi no longer has a fabric department. What did they do with the extra space when they remodeled? Added more gaudy home decor crap. Like the world needs more of that junk.

OK, I’m super tired and can’t keep my eyes open (now who is lame?). Off to bed.

Sorry I’ve been away so long. I wish my absence meant that I was working on lots of crafting, but sadly, it hasn’t. Work and unexpected gall bladder surgery (you’d think a week in the hospital and recuperation time would’ve allowed for it, but no! Damned IVs and drugs that made me sleepy) really put a crimp in my crafting. I think I’ve finally got my work issues ironed out (for now) and I’m healing nicely from the surgery, so watch out — heaving duty crafting to come!

Tonight I’m bringing Dad along to the Colorado Rockies Stitch N’ Pitch℠ event. We’ve had some heavy duty rain this week, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the rains hold off and the skies remain clear this evening. I need to pick Dad up in an hour and a half and still haven’t decided what project to bring yet! LOL

I joined the Summer KAL-CAL in hopes of getting my butt in gear to learn to knit socks. Once again, the aforementioned events put a crimp in that plan, too. I’ll at least have a couple of bags done by the September 2nd deadline (I hope). I’m jumping on the bandwagon, I know, but I’m making market bags so that I can reduce the amount of plastic bags I use and help reduce trash, as well. I hate how much trash Marcus and I generate. If nothing else, less trips to the trash dumpster would be a definite plus.

Well, I’d better get my butt in gear and get stuff ready to go. Go Rockies!

On the Ravelry boards today I was pointed to this awesome t-shirt:

It is called Mixed Martial Arts and Crafts. MUST. HAVE. THIS. SHIRT! Isn’t it awesome?

I didn’t mention earlier that this Noni market bag is intarsia. Now, I watched a video online at KnittingHelp.com on Intarsia multiple times and figured I could easily do this. In practice, not so much. I somehow keep managing to twist my stitches really weird when I change colors.

I also noticed that I picked up a corner stitch in the wrong whole when I picked up the stitches around the bottom. How in the heck did I manage that?

Man, it’s a good thing this this is going to be felted.

I think I’m going to step away for a few hours, run to the store, do some housework and work on my GAA* square. Maybe a little later it will feel like cooperating.

*Great American Afghan