Too Crafty For My Own Good

Kincavel Krosses Stitch Along

2012-02-12T22:15:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite cross stitch designers is Kell Smurthwaite of Kincavel Krosses and she started a monthly Christmas cross stitch along. I thought it was a great idea and a way to get some Christmas cross stitching done early this year. This is my January entry:


Noel

I added seed beads instead of doing french knots as was offered for the holly berries. One down, eleven more to go.

Craftsy Block of the Month - February

2012-02-07T20:54:00.001-05:00

The Balkan Puzzle Block. Ended up just shy of 12 1/2"


Balkan Puzzle Block

~~I'll work on the Chunky Chevron Block tomorrow.~~

And now for the Chunky Chevron Block:


Chunky Chevron

I have learned I prefer the drawn line method of half square triangles. This course is showing me some great ways to put together blocks. I could put together a chevron quilt very quickly and may just add it to my to do list.

Wow, wow and WOW!!!

2012-02-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

I subscribe to a lot of quilting and craft newsletters always looking for new ideas and tips. And I think the one I got today is going to really change my quilting life. It's all about spray basting quilts. Take a look:

I've got 3 tops just begging to be quilted and one thing that always slows me down is the prepping for quilting. Ugh!

I'm already thinking about what to move so I can set up a wall to use and track down some 505 Basting Spray.

Thank you Quilt Show for sharing this wonderful tip!

Craftsy Block of the Month - January

2012-01-22T20:07:00.000-05:00

So after thinking and rethinking and thinking again, I finally decided on a color scheme for the Craftsy Block of the Month course. I'm doing black, white and red. There may be a few spots of other colors with the black, it will depend on the block.

So I went to Joann's and used my 10% VIP discount card that I got with my AQS membership and bought some fabric as well as a couple of rulers and some floss. Here are the results for the two January blocks.


Asterisk - January


Wonky Pound Sign - January

They were really easy to make, the only problem I had was with one of the wonky arms lining up. I ripped the stitches and tried it again, but it wouldn't line up so it's staying the way it is.

Can't wait to see February!

A little block

2012-01-15T18:40:00.000-05:00

I went on a bit of a binge and bought three kits (which I mentioned previously) and joined a block of the month club.

The block of the month sent a bonus block that I think is just a thank you and warm up and I pieced it today using my new machine. It's a small step in the process forward.

I need to trim it a little to even up the edge. I like the autumn colors, but lately I've been in a batik lust. I just can't get enough of looking at them. I believe I'll be doing the Craftsy blocks out of batiks. I'd better get started on the January block as the month is half way over.

First crafty completion of the year

2012-01-01T22:48:00.002-05:00

This is a market bag I made for Angela using Michigan State fabric. It folds up neatly to be stashed away. Pretty easy to put together. The most time consuming part was the bias tape.

I started this on my old White Jean Machine and finished it on my new Brother CP7500 which I got mainly for the quilting features. What I can say is that so far I LOVE THIS MACHINE!! It is easy to wind the bobbins, thread the machine and sew. I love the 1/4" piecing setting, no more fiddling with the seam allowance. Now to really learn machine quilting. It came with a walking foot and the free motion quilting foot as well as the quilting guide for straight lines. I was blown away with how easily I got started, but there's still a lot to learn. It's quiet, fast and user friendly.


Brother CP7500

Not the best picture in the world, but here it is. It also came with an extension table for quilting and a hard cover. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!! I realize that I actually avoided sewing because of the old machine and now I am thinking of all of the projects I want to do this year.

While looking for a biscotti recipe I read a post about Connecting Threads.com and popped over to see what it was all about. Well it's about some really great fabric for not a lot of money. I have been looking for a quilt kit to work on for quite a while. Something I didn't have to look at putting the fabric together for, something I could just pick up and do. And boy was I pleasantly surprised when I bought not one, not two, but three kits for under $70 (including the backing fabric). One kit I purchased is called Scrappy Diamonds and cost all of $29.46 for the top, binding and backing! If you don't believe me, look for yourself. They have a Kit Builder option where you can trade out the fabrics to get an idea of how it will look.

I was a little skeptical about the fabric until it arrived. Now I am completely sold on this company. Trust me, give them a look, you will love the way this fabric feels when you get some and you will really love the prices. I will definitely be going back to them for future projects.

In closing, I'm still learning to live without Jay. I can see that at some point I'll get to a "new normal", but I'm still having my moments. Crafting (reading blogs, looking at projects, going through my stash, and actually working on things) is helping me to make it through.

Here's to what I hope is a peaceful, crafty new year for myself and everyone out there in craft land.

Here's to a Merry Christmas for all

2011-12-21T12:31:00.002-05:00

Getting the inspiration back

2011-11-09T09:31:00.001-05:00

It's been three months now. Only three months, but it seems like an eternity. I've mostly been working and coming home and going to grief support and trying to just keep moving forward.

I've had some fairly good days and then I've had some really bad ones. Extremely bad ones. But I just keep moving forward. I feel like a shark, constantly moving because if I stop it will all crash down on me.

So in the interest of moving forward I think crafting is going to help me get through things. I've already crocheted a few dishcloths. I washed the fabric for an overdue baby quilt and now I need to cut out the pieces and start the applique. I don't think the wolves cross stitch is going to make the Christmas list, but I could prove myself wrong.

Work has kept me occupied. Thank God for my friends there. They have given me so much support. I am so grateful for them.

So with the goal of crafting to occupy my mind and keep my hands busy, here is a photo of the fabric for the baby quilt.

I'm not sure how they are going to work with the pattern I've chosen, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Updates later.

How do you go on when everything is turned upside down?

2011-09-03T18:37:00.000-04:00

I'm not going to kid around. I have been absolutely miserable since Jay passed. I've had little to no appetite for the most part. My doctor has me on an anti-depressant and Xanax for anxiety. It's helped some with the crying, but I still break down. Everyone at work has been wonderful. They all thought I came back too soon, but financially I didn't have a choice and as it turns out emotionally it was probably the best thing for me because while he's always on my mind, keeping busy helps to keep the hurt away. I will be starting a grief support group in a couple of weeks. Luckily my managers are all for it and are working with my schedule to make sure I can attend.

I promised a friend a baby quilt and they are due soon. So far I've only washed the fabric. I've yet to press it or cut one piece of it. I've got to get moving on that. I think she'll understand when the baby gets there before the quilt. I'm finding it hard to concentrate on things I used to have fun with. The games on Facebook that we both enjoyed are now just a colossal waste of time to me. I haven't farmed, built a city or anything like that since he was in the hospital. Don't think I ever will again. I learned the hard way that things can change at the drop of a hat and sitting in front of this computer plowing a made up farm just doesn't cut it any more. Sorry to all of my Facebook friends who relied on me to gift them things they needed, I just don't have it in me any more.

The colors of the quilt I'm going to be working on are blue and brown (the colors the mothers chose) I am doing a Hawaiian quilt as one of the mothers was born in Hawaii. However, I'm using prints instead of solids so I'm hoping all turns out well. It will definitely be an experience as Hawaiian quilting involves a lot of applique.

I did finish the blanket for Ashley's baby, but I didn't get a picture of it. At least I don't think I did. If I find it on the camera, I'll publish it, but it was a basket weave crochet pattern with a through the back loop single crochet border. I found the pattern online.

I've also got to get back to work on the wolves cross stitch I started as it is intended to be a Christmas present. It was something we decided on together for his sister and brother-in-law and I have to get it done.

But for now I'm going to go back to scrubbing my kitchen floor. I'm doing it on my hands and knees with a brush and it looks like new. More of that keeping busy thing I'm trying to do. Prayers are helping too.

Jay David Johnson

2011-07-30T12:48:00.005-04:00

December 2, 1955 to July 26, 2011

I love you very much.

I miss you every second of every day.

I wish you were still here with me.


Jay David Johnson

On July 26, 2011 in the early morning hours, the love of my life moved on to a journey in a better place. I wrote a very long remembrance of Jay and have moved it to its own page. If you would like to learn about the man who made me and those he loved very happy, please feel free to read it. I will add more pictures of him as I go and I'm sure other updates.

He always encouraged me with my crafting and only cringed a little when I made a beeline for the yarn and fabric departments. Now he's watching over me and I'm going to try to make him proud of me. Not having him with me is the hardest thing I've ever been through in my life.

I miss you Papa.

Wintertime Wolves Update

2011-06-27T23:16:00.000-04:00

More work on the wolves cross stitch. I filled in the blue section and I'm working on one of the wolves now.

Blog Design

2011-06-26T18:42:00.000-04:00

For some reason, today I decided to play around with my blog template. I found this one and it's really cute. I want something craft/quilting related and this one caught my eye. I really like it but it still isn't quite what I was looking for so I guess I'll have to learn to create my own. Somewhere in between continuing to clean out the 3 storage lockers (can you say my husbands ex was a hoarder - not that I can talk when it comes to crafting supplies), sorting my crafting supplies, working on the wolves cross stitch and knitting a baby blanket. Can you say multitasking?? If anyone has any template ideas or suggestions I'm open to them, but this will be my template until I figure out something else.

While sorting through my crafting supplies I'm becoming reacquainted with a lot of things I forgot I had. It's amazing what a person can accumulate. I've got quilting rulers and things up the wazoo. I've got more patterns saved than I'll ever do. So with that in mind I've decided to work from the stash for the time being. I may have to supplement for some projects with purchases, but for the most part it is going to come from the stash. The first thing is the baby blanket that I'm knitting. I have 5 skeins of the same baby/pastel color yarn that needs to be used and it is being used. Now if only I could stay on pattern without frogging the darned thing again. It's not that hard of a pattern and it's driving me buggy. The problem is there are yarn overs and if I lose track of where I am it's a serious pain to frog. Somehow last night I ended up one stitch short, but I think I found where and just did a make one to make up for it. It's at the end of the row and there was no way I was going to frog it.

On the quilting front, I've got enough finished tops to practice machine quilting on. But I have to finish a current project before I start on that. Too many UFO's hanging around.

AND, it's going to be a handcrafted Christmas. The wolves is a Christmas present. I've got another cross stitch done for a friend who likes fishing and found another kit I purchased for her that is fishing related and needs to be done. Fortunately it's not that big or complicated like the wolves. I'm trying to figure out a fairly quick and easy item to duplicate for friends at work. I was thinking about dish cloths (because goodness knows I have tons of cotton yarn) then I found a great tutorial for a patchwork lanyard and think that's the way I'm going to go. First I'll try out the pattern for myself, but it looks great. I'm thinking about doing some assembly line piecing for them.

Okay, back to work on something, probably the baby blanket. Need to have it done fairly soon as the recipient will be on maternity leave very soon.

Wintertime Wolves Cross Stitch

2011-06-12T11:10:00.001-04:00

I've started working on the Wintertime Wolves cross stitch from Dimensions that I'm making for my sister-in-law. It will become a Christmas gift. Lots of half cross stitch used in this pattern. I think doing the half stitches take longer than the full cross stitch. Anyway, lots of blues in this one, lots of blended colors. It's going to be very pretty when it's done. Here's the progress to date:

Work done thus far - seems like a lot, but it's a very small part of it.


Up close, cross stitches and half cross stitches

It's probably going to take me up to Christmas to get it done with all of the other things I want to do. But I'm going to keep plugging away at it. It's nice to get back to counted cross stitch.

Happy Dance!!!

2011-05-26T11:03:00.001-04:00

I finished Lory's Warming Stripes Throw. Love the pattern. Even though it's only a single crochet,with the cross it makes it a very nice stitch. It's in coffee, light blue and soft white. Which will match the colors in her living room.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T09:35:00.000-04:00

To my mother Dennie. Love you very much.

Nubby Dishcloth Finish

2011-04-27T23:59:00.000-04:00

I did another quick dishcloth. This one is the Nubby Dish Cloth and what looks like bobbles are actually just triple crochets followed by a single. Fast to make and easy to remember. Also looks like it will be a great scrubber.

Quick Finish #2

2011-04-25T00:58:00.000-04:00

Another quick dish cloth. I was also led to this one by AllFreeCrochet.com and is called the Daisy Dish Cloth

Daisy Dish Cloth

The next time I try it I think I'm going to use two different petal colors just for the heck of it to see how it works. It was an interesting pattern and it's quite big when finished, a little over 9" square. Onwards....

Quick Finish

2011-04-23T18:08:00.000-04:00

I found the pattern for the Lacy Petals Dishcloth through a link from AllFreeCrochet.com along with a few others and finished this one in about an hour. I really like it and will be making more as I am determined to make all of my Christmas gifts by hand this year and need to get started NOW!

Jaliyah's quilt

2011-04-16T15:39:00.001-04:00

Finally, I've finished Jaliyah's quilt. Here it is:


Finished quilt


Jaliyah Quilt label

It was very easy to put together and quilt. I just wish I had worked at it more diligently so it would have been done earlier, but either way it is DONE!!! Now to ship it out and on to the next project!

Makayla's Giraffe

2011-03-20T22:17:00.000-04:00

This was a very quick gift for a new baby girl. It was fun to make and very, very easy. The pattern is from Red Heart and is the Little Crochet Giraffe.

New sewing table

2011-03-13T13:27:00.000-04:00

The vast majority of my crafting supplies (fabric, machines, tables, etc.) are in storage behind a wall of stuff that would take a long time to get to. And it's not going to happen while there is snow on the ground. Also, I don't really have the room I need to use for one of my sewing cabinets.

So my husband surprised me big time on Friday with this new sewing table. I saw it online and thought it would work perfectly for the space that I have (don't have) and the machine I'm using at the moment. (I can't wait to get my Singer out and serviced) I absolutely love it. The well drops so the machine bed can be level with the table and it has a measuring tape right on the edge for quick measurements. Here's a picture and I'm off to play with it.

Still quilting

2011-02-27T20:03:00.000-05:00

I've just about got the left side of the quilting done, then it's on to the right. I was going to take a picture, but changed my mind...maybe I'll post one later. In the meantime, I've learned about Aurifil thread and I have to get my hands on some as it sounds absolutely wonderful.

Let the quilting begin

2011-02-20T23:59:00.000-05:00

So today, I finally basted the quilt and started quilting. I'm hand quilting the top and since I haven't done it in what seems like forever it took a little time to get my rhythm back. Here's what I've done so far. Just outline quilting the letter and inside and around the applique background. Then it's off to the body of the quilt which should go fairly quickly because it's all straight lines.

Here's a picture.

My Ott Light is bleaching out the top of the photo and the angles a little weird, but you can see the progress thus far. We're getting a bunch of snow right now, so I'm kind of hoping that tomorrow will be too much to get out so I can stay home and quilt.

Jaliyah's quilt update

2011-01-29T19:03:00.000-05:00

Today I'm working on finishing the quilt top. I'm up to putting on the borders. Here's what I have so far.

This picture actually gives a pretty good rendition of the colors even though I used a flash. I'll be adding white borders tonight.


"J" is for Jaliyah!

I'm not the world's greatest at applique, just haven't had enough practice, but I thought this came out pretty good. I had to track down a font that wasn't all curlicue because I just couldn't deal with it...lol And I wanted a letter that was a little more modern. Considering I have a Baltimore Album quilt as one of my "to-do's" I'd better start practicing more. I did needle turn applique on this one, maybe freezer paper would have made it easier. Anyway...moving on to the borders now.

A little glitch

2011-01-24T00:14:00.000-05:00

Working away on the baby quilt. Finally found a font that I could live with for the letter J that I'm putting on the quilt. Trace and cut out the letter, pin it to the block and quickly discover that I haven't got any thread to match the letter.

Well, I do, but it's in storage with ALL OF MY OTHER STUFF! Sorry to shout, but it was really frustrating. So now I've put it aside until I return to work on Tuesday when I'll pick up the thread I need. The worst part is that I know I purchased the color I need to work on some quilt blocks for a swap and not only can I not find the thread I can't even find the bobbins for my sewing machine. One of which would have had enough thread for me to use for the applique.

Instead of continuing to pout I pulled out the afghan I'm crocheting for my sister and worked on it a bit.


Lory's Warming Stripes Afghan in progress

I really like this stitch, it's a crossed single crochet stitch. You skip one and then go back to crochet in the one you skipped. It gives it some interesting texture. But being single crochet, it takes a while to get some size going.

First quilt start of the year

2011-01-22T23:50:00.000-05:00

My cousin became a grandmother for the first time in September (of last year). I decided to make the baby a quilt. Chose the pattern, purchased and prepped the fabric and haven't touched it since then.

Today I cut all of the pieces and have started piecing it together. Not a difficult pattern, but I love it. I'm hand piecing it, which is actually my preference and will probably hand quilt it as well. Here's my progress thus far.

The pictures aren't that great, but this is the center portion of the quilt and I will be appliqueing the letter "J" to the center of it in a shade close to the dark pink in the roses.

This is actually the first quilt I have pieced in about four years. Way too long. Time to hit the fabric stash with a vengeance. Cutting out the pieces and sewing them have reminded me of how much I love to quilt.

Some finishes for January

2011-01-17T20:37:00.000-05:00

I've actually been getting a few things started and finished. They aren't huge items, but I like them. First up, pigs with wings

Well actually one pig with wings and one with a white band. I'm still thinking about giving him wings, but I'm liking him like he is right now. Also need to get some seed beads for eyes.

Next up are two very cool dishcloth patterns that I found at neatlytangled's Etsy shop. The first one is A Practically Hyperbolic Dishcloth. All I can say is it's 9 rounds of perfection. It's just plain fun to make.

I used a self striping for the multi-colored on and a variegated for the blue one. This dishcloth almost screams for bright colors but I can see it in softer ones too because of the great waves it has.

The next one is Scrubbing Ruffles and is also from neatlytangled's Etsy shop. I didn't block this one, I just took it when it was done. It's like a granny block that's gone all curly on the sides.

And finally for this session are these which if I remember were supposed to be sunflower colored, but I took some liberties with the petals.

I wasn't too happy with my center round because it's all lumpy, but I can fix that in later attempts.

I'm attempting to get an 11 month start on Christmas this year. I'm hoping to do at least 2 dishcloths a month for use in gift packs at Christmas. I think I'm seeing a lot of hyperbolics and scrubbing ruffles in my future.

I'm also working on the sofa throw for my sister. I started over and made it longer that the original pattern. It's rows of a crossed single crochet that alternates colors every two rows so it's going a little slow. I've done about 10 rows and it feels like it's not getting anywhere...but I'm determined to get it finished.

As the hours count down...

2010-12-31T15:49:00.000-05:00

I'd like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy, safe, prosperous and creative New Year. I have lots of crafty goals for 2011. Just trying to decide if I want to keep them to myself or list them. I think listing them will give me the impetus I need to complete them so I guess I'll be adding another page.

I've seen a lot of great ideas floating out around there and techniques they have been incredibly inspiring. I just hope I can contribute a small percentage to the crafty world out there.

A Granny A Day Update

2010-11-18T23:25:00.000-05:00

Well I signed up months ago and started making granny squares from patterns that I could find. These are the results:

Love this one

One of my favorites

Then there are the group I started for an afghan. They are three inches wide and I need a total of 600. I'm using black as the main color and any scraps I can get my hands on.

35 down, 565 more to go

And last but not least, a pumpkin just for the heck of it.

A finish from earlier in the year

2010-11-12T15:34:00.000-05:00

I made this little guy for my husband as a Valentine's Day gift. I used this pattern for him and this pattern for the heart. He was promptly named Val and holds court on his desk. I had to kidnap him to take these photos and I'm thinking about asking for ransom if he wants him back. (Just kidding)

Val the Penguin

The Big Finish

2010-10-23T20:23:00.000-04:00

And it's finally done. My biggest crochet project to date, an afghan (maybe lapghan) for my mom. It didn't make it for her birthday (darned flowers and leaves) but it's all done. I did the ends and fringe today and here are the final results.


Dennie's Irish Lace and Roses Afghan


Detail of flowers

It will be shipped out on Monday to my mom who has been waiting for it patiently. I ended up telling her I was still working on something and she wormed the details out of me. I just hope she likes it.

Next up, a baby quilt for the newest baby in the family.

Reorganization

2010-09-14T18:05:00.000-04:00

While sitting in the midst of my desk/craft area I had a little brainstorm and have decided to reorganize some things. So I'm off to rearrange, organize and hopefully make some sense out of this:

YIKES!!!

From the Snuggy on the chair to the machine that's buried, things have gotten a wee bit out of hand. Okay, okay, it's pitiful!! Maybe that's why I've been crocheting or knitting lately. I don't have to face this then.

I have about 36 square feet to work in (not counting storage in closets. Way down from what I'd like but it is what it is right now and will definitely do.

Still working on...

2010-09-04T14:22:00.000-04:00

the afghan for my mom. She already knows she's getting something and that it will be a belated gift, but she doesn't know what it is. I didn't think the leaves and flowers would take so long. But considering I haven't been able to work on it 24/7 that's what has happened. So, I'm moving along, I've got 44 flowers done, all of the leaves and I still have to do the last panel. Then I'll be attaching all 120 of the flowers and leaves. Whew!

Just when I thought I was ahead of the game

2010-08-15T18:42:00.000-04:00

I thought I had finished putting the loops on all of the panels and had moved on to the sets of leaves. I need 60 sets of leaves and 60 flowers. I'm using sport weight yarn and a size 0 steel hook. Yeah, not exactly the recommended size but it's making them tighter and giving them a bit of a curl so it all works out.

But as I'm putting the panels in their holding bag I find one that hasn't been trimmed with loops yet! I did a happy dance yesterday thinking they were done and now I've got to trim another. Ugh!!!

Oh well, onwards to the end. I've got about 2 weeks left to get this done and shipped out.

Untrimmed panel and leaves

Woo Hoo!!

2010-08-01T20:52:00.000-04:00

I've finished the 6 hunter green panels for the Irish Lace and Roses afghan. Now on to the side trim that will join them.

After that I'll start on the actual roses and leaves once the sport weight SOFT white arrives. I mistakenly ordered off white instead and boy what a difference. Luckily my husband said why send it back, you know you'll use it at some point.

On to the loops!!

Irish Lace and Roses Afghan

2010-07-15T18:01:00.000-04:00

I ran across a pattern called Irish Lace and Roses Afghan from Annie's Attic and fell in love with it. I decided to make it for my mother's birthday in September. It will be Hunter Green and Soft White so it goes with her bedroom colors. So far I've completed two of the panels and am close to finishing the third. It's a pretty easy repeat for the panels. They are each 110 rows long but they fly by. I still need to get the soft white in the sport weight to make the roses out of.

I really love the way they are joined, it looks like it's braided. Here's the progress so far.

Crocheting my little heart out

2010-07-01T20:42:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not I have actually been busy. I have been doing a lot of crocheting.

First up is the baby blanket I did for a co-worker who is having a little boy. The pattern called for a size G hook, but I ended up moving up to an I to get the right gauge. I don't know if it's me or the patterns, but sometimes the gauge works and sometimes it doesn't. I used Bernat Baby Sport Yarn in Baby White and Baby Denim Marl and really liked it. Here's the finished item made from the Little Boy Blue afghan pattern which I believe is a Red Heart pattern. The only thing I didn't do was the embroidery on it, just ran out of time, but I still loved the outcome.

(ignore the dates, the camera wasn't set)

Next up was a quick blanket for a new baby girl for another co-worker. I used the Bernat Baby Sport again in Lavender and Baby White. The original pattern used one color throughout but I switched the edging to white. The ribbon around the edge is really nice.

I was really happy with the way they both came out and now I'm working on an afghan for my mom's birthday called Loop-n-Lace Irish Lace and Roses. It will be in Hunter Green and Soft White.

More to come!

Duchess Dean Jones - May 1991 to June 15, 2010

2010-06-15T22:23:00.000-04:00

Born in May 1991, Duchess Dean Jones was a gift from my sister Lory. She was seven weeks old when I brought her home and she had me wrapped around her little paw immediately. My mother never liked cats but between Duchess and Sam (my sister's cat) she was won over. The "Dutch Kitty" as she called her made it her job to keep an eye on her after her surgery.

She greeted me at the door when I came home from work, if I was late she let me know it. She loved to play and she loved to watch the birds that perched in the trees outside the bedroom window. She even tried talking to them and made pretty good chirping sounds for a cat...lol

While Sam was with us she let him do all the talking, unless tuna was involved then she became very vocal. When Sam left us she decided she had better speak up and we had many, many conversations throughout the years. Although she was a cat, she seemed more human than a lot of humans I knew.

Although she hated car trips (I imagine she thought she was going to the dreaded vet) she rode shotgun on the move to Michigan. She became quite comfortable at the Motel 6 (pet friendly) and it was probably because all the rooms we stayed in looked exactly the same. Once she got to the farm she had a whole new group of animals to watch. Geese, sheep, dogs, baby chicks...she watched them all. To my amazement the cat who ran and hid until she decided she liked someone quickly showed her trust to my husband. Obviously she knew a good guy when she saw him.

Even more amazing was the relationship she developed with Mist the Border Collie. None of my friends would believe she shared a home with a dog, let alone went nose to nose with her without pitching a fit and baring claws, but she did. I attributed it to mellowing a lot in her old age.

Unfortunately, that old age caught up with her. She lost the hearing in her right ear shortly after her 18th birthday but she adapted well. Later on she started showing other signs of her age and in the past week it all started going rapidly downhill. I spent as much time with her as I could holding her and talking to her. She left us this morning at 7:20am while I held her. She was 19 years old but she was and always will be my green eyed, pink nosed kitty girl.

There are a lot of stories and memories and I will treasure them forever. She was there during the good and the bad. She kept me sane. She was a joy every second that she was alive and I'm going to miss her for the rest of my life.

Be well my kitty girl and say hi to Sam for me.

Weird Stuff

2010-03-09T14:11:00.000-05:00

For some reason I've been getting redirects on my blog and it's making me more than a little angry. Anyway, I've been off work sick for almost 3 weeks now and am getting more than a bit antsy.

I've got a couple of things I've been working on that I need to take pictures of and post. I'm hoping to get the camera to cooperate. I think it's time to invest in another one.

During my surfing I found a Granny A Day crochet along that I've joined (have to keep track of the group commitments) which should be cool because I've got LOTS of odds and ends yarn to use up and it will give me a chance to learn new granny squares and hopefully end up with a very eclectic afghan when all is said and done.

Now off to get something accomplished.

Snow day

2010-02-10T08:22:00.001-05:00

Lots of snow last night and my truck didn't care much for it this morning so I'm home now with crafting on the brain.

One really great thing I came across was The DIY Dish from You Can Make This.com. They will have a series of videos on crafting of all kinds. They are also doing an awesome contest giving away TWO Janome machines. One is an embroidery machine and the other is a sewing machine. I'd love either one...I'm not picky...lol

Here's the first video:

I love the You Can Make This site. Lots of really great projects to inspire.

Tri-Color Cloche

2010-01-31T18:35:00.001-05:00

Okay, I bought the yarn for this on October 20, 2008 after finding the free pattern in the yarn section. My crochet skills were really rudimentary at the time, but I thought I'd give it a try. I do remember trying one night and frogging it about 6 times, then putting everything back in the bag it came home in.

Over a year later, I unearth them (after moving and finally learning some actual crochet skills and I managed to start and finish it in less than a day and I'm pretty pleased with the results. Not the greatest picture in the world, but I like it nonetheless. AND it's my second finish for a project this year. I'll post the first closer to Valentine's Day in case someone takes a look at my blog.

Loft Creations No Strings Attached Challenge

2010-01-29T13:46:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to post about this but things have been a little crazy with the full time and part time seasonal job lately. But finally, here it is.

I've joined a string block quilt challenge that I found on the blog Loft Creations. We can only use fabric we already own (stash busting at its best!) and can make anything from the string blocks that we like. I've got some fabric at the house to start playing with but the majority is in a storage locker (towards the back with a LOT in front of it) and with the current cold snap it's not coming out any time soon.

So with a deadline of June 30, I'm going to work on technique with what I have and think about the fabric that will get hauled out as soon as it's warm enough to be able to stay outside for a good amount of time.

I've put a link to the challenge in the side bar. Unfortunately the sign up time is closed, but it's really cool to see what others are doing with their string blocks. There are a lot of really nice things coming out of this challenge. I just hope I can create something worthy. I'll be posting updates as I go.

Everything old is new again

2010-01-04T15:14:00.000-05:00

I've decided to go back to my original blog name. It just came to me when I woke up this morning so I've made it happen. I've got high hopes for this year. I think it's going to be a very good year all around.

2010

2010-01-01T13:07:00.000-05:00

Here's to a happy, healthy and creative 2010 for everyone!!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays to everyone. Have a great time and be safe.

Another great giveaway...

2009-12-10T20:29:00.000-05:00

FaveCrafts.com is having a contest for a Clover Getaway Knitting Needle Gift Set (29" Circular). The set contains one each Takumi Circular 29 INCH sizes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 & 15.

They are also giving away a Clover Getaway Knitting Needle Gift Set (13" Single Pointed). In this gifts set you can find Takumi Single Pointed 13 INCH sizes 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 13 & 15.

Head on over and check it out:

Clover Getaway Knitting Needle and Takumi Velvet Gift Set Giveaway

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T00:32:00.000-05:00

A nice day today, lots of things to give thanks for...especially my family and friends. I hope everyone had a great day.

I'm working on a pair of socks right now from the Monkey pattern on knitty.com. Cute pattern, I just hope I do it right all the way through. I frogged it 3 times before I got it going (darned 5 DP's at once!) I'm using Lion Brand's Sock-Ease. I really need to get some bamboo DP's.

One thing that will help is this great table I found that lists shoe size measurements for your sock knitting. And since I'm probably making these as a gift for my sister, it will be easier to use this than asking her to measure her feet again (can't find the original measurements). Here's a link to the site - MyJewelThief Knits, she's got some really cute patterns on there too.

Okay, now that it's indecently late and I have to get up to go to work tomorrow morning early, I should attempt to get some sleep. Now making any bets on that, but I'll try.

An actual finished project

2009-11-12T19:56:00.000-05:00

While wandering through the craft aisle at the local Wally World I came across some Red Heart yarn that was marked down to $1.50 a skein. There was a pattern on one for a Mile-A-Minute scarf and wanting to see if I could decipher the crochet pattern and seeing two colors I really liked I decided to take advantage of the deal. This is the end result:

After one episode of starting and then frogging I whipped right through it and am pleased with the results. Not necessarily a scarf for the middle of winter, but nice nonetheless.

I haven't blocked it yet, but I think it came out pretty good for my first big crochet project. Now I'm going to knit some socks.

Great new quilt shop and giveaway

2009-09-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

I found this really cute quilt shop through an item in Craft Gossip.com. It's called The Dizzy Daizy Quilt Shop and if you click on the link it will take you to their blog and the giveaway they are doing to celebrate their grand opening.

I love quilt shops and I love giveaways...lol

I have been....

2009-09-09T16:42:00.000-04:00

Slowly getting settled into our new place. Lately I've been going through my craft boxes sorting out, discarding, repacking...just trying to make some sense of things with a smaller area to store them in.

In between that I've started fighting another flare up of my Crohn's brought on to missing one of my injections due to disgustingly high costs (to the tune of $2,652.40 for my 3 month co-pay) so I'm starting to get that back under control.

While doing all of this I've been piecing some autumn color quilt blocks, working on finishing the last of the granny squares for a baby blanket (which then have to be blocked) and trying to figure out my next moves craft-wise.

Right now my set up has my sewing machine on a roll away table next to my desk, a table with fold down flaps behind my desk so I can iron, sort, whatever and a closet that will hold my crafting supplies. Well some of them, no way I'm getting them all in there.

I'm in a serious paring down mode. I've been throwing things away I've had for years. Use it or lose it unless I really want to keep it.

Tonight I start classes on income tax preparation for a (hopefully) part-time job come tax time next year. In order to stay on my meds I need all the extra cash I can get. I'm really looking forward to it, I like to stretch my brain and it has definitely been stagnated lately.

Well that's it. More later.

Working on....

2009-07-14T12:28:00.000-04:00

Quilt blocks in autumn colors for a fall swap and a crocheted baby blanket. It's been so long since I last did anything quilted related I was like a kid in a candy store at the fabric shop. Off to press fabric for the blocks now.

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-04T19:32:00.000-04:00

Have fun, stay safe and enjoy the weekend!

Farrah's Story

2009-05-15T23:39:00.000-04:00

Watched "Farrah's Story" tonight and was very touched by it. It was both uplifting and very sad. Also very frustrating as it's just not right that people in the U.S. don't have the access to alternative treatments that are available elsewhere. Fortunately, Farrah has the means to seek the alternative treatments but there are hundreds of thousands of others who don't and are pretty much at the mercy of the medical system here. I have nothing but respect for the lady, she's handled her situation extremely well and to have a camera around during those key times had to be hard, but I thank her for it and will keep her in my thoughts.

It's really too bad. Having Crohn's I look for anything that can alleviate my condition but I'm pretty much stuck with conventional medicine for the time. Can't really afford the conventional either, but what else can you do?

Blossoms outside my new library

2009-04-28T20:54:00.000-04:00

It's finally warming up. I love it.

Moving...still...

2009-04-20T12:20:00.000-04:00

We've gotten the furniture in and a lot of stuff, but we're still packing up things for storage. We got help from 2 great guys via emove.com and they were amazing. We'll be using them again when we move the things into storage. They wouldn't let us do more than pointing out what had to go and they did all the hauling. Fast, friendly and reliable.

Still doing the unpacking after work and on days off. Heading back to the old place today to work on packing up more stuff. I've got my little crafting corner behind my desk and I'm itching to use it. The quilting frame is going in the living room. Fortunately, it's one that folds down and doesn't take a lot of space and I can pull it up to quilt. That's why I bought it when I was in my apartment in the first place. And I can go from small to king size. I've got to get all the pieces of it over here and put it up.

Anyway, that's the status on the move as it stands.

Happy Easter Everyone!

2009-04-12T11:32:00.000-04:00

All systems are go!

2009-04-03T00:06:00.000-04:00

We found out today that we got the place we wanted so we are now very happily finishing the packing and planning the final move. Jay is investigating cable/DSL packages and I'm more concerned with the logistics and getting out of here as soon as possible.

We'll probably be moving the basic stuff and boxes ourselves starting as soon as possible and the appliances and furniture with help on April 14th. I'm so excited, it's like a giant cloud has lifted and the sun is beaming down.

Also, I got my two new cookbooks from Amazon today and they look wonderful. I'll definitely post more about them later.

I'm in the mood for crafting

2009-03-30T09:31:00.000-04:00

But it's going to have to wait until we've moved. We're in the process of sorting and packing a 3 bedroom 2 bath house with full basement and attic. Stuffed with things from my husbands and ex-wife's 20 years of living here. Things that were brought from other homes they lived in and never opened after they were packed there. It is amazing and discouraging and cool all at the same time because we're finding pictures of him when he was little and his family and things he's had since he was little.

One thing I'm definitely going to do is put together scrap books of all of these finds for him. That will open the door to scrapbooking (which I have actually been avoiding as there are soooo many gadgets and things out there for scrapbooks). I will however keep it simple. I want them to be nice scrapbooks, but I'm not going goofy over the geegaws either.

I've also been itching to get my hands back on my quilts again. I've got bunches of patterns I want to make and I'm actually looking at machine piecing some of them just to get them done. When it comes to quilting I LOVE hand piecing and hand quilting, but as anyone who does it knows, it takes a long time. The up side is you can carry your piecing with you pretty much any where you go (unlike machine piecing) but it takes quite a while (depending on the pattern). Anyway, I'm rambling. Colors, patterns, batting lofts, backings and quilt designs are all whirling through my head and kicking and screaming to become reality.

In the meantime I'm working on a quick cross stitch and packing everything else to go.

We're moving to a smaller 3 bedroom 2 bath but no basement or attic, so lots of things are being whittled down. I personally think it's a very good thing. I am so over the clutter.

I will be posting more after the move, we just have to get things done around here. Also, I finally got rid of a lingering cold (FINALLY!!!) and am feeling much better. The Crohn's still rears it's ugly head and I'm working on getting it more under control. It's actually more like an ongoing struggle. I've ordered two cookbooks that I'm hoping will help.

Well back off to more packing. The sooner I'm packed and out of here the sooner I can get to the quilt making.

Here's to a creative and happy 2009

2009-01-01T08:32:00.000-05:00

This past year has been a doozy. I haven't gotten as much crafting done as I would have liked, but I got some in.

Lots of personal changes including getting married. (Now there's one I never thought I would do...I'm still a little shell-shocked, but very happy) This year will bring a move to a new city and home. Where? I'm not sure yet.

On the creative front, I'm planning to continue with knitting, but also get back into the quilting and cross stitch. I've got an itch to be creative after what seems like a long "down" time. I've been knitting but I haven't felt ideas spark like they have been lately in a long time. I guess I'm in a better space mentally now and I know from my past that my crafting makes me happy so I'm going to craft.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 2009. Things may be tough, but I'm confident we can all make it through. I look forward to continue reading different blogs for inspiration and helpful tips. I just hope I'm able to contribute more on my end than I did this year.

Here's to 2009!!

Four Corners Dish Cloth

2008-09-24T15:10:00.000-04:00

In my quest to knit ALL of the dish cloths I have patterns for, here is the latest:

You can find the pattern here. It's a lot of fun to knit and knits up fast. I'm already thinking about pulling some more variegated yarns out to play with since they work so nicely. I'm also thinking about trying some self-striping to see what the effect would be.

The dish cloth in the picture is not blocked but I still think it looks great. Right now I'm working on "A Christmas Story" as it was next in line in my folder ("4 Corners" came before "A Christmas Story" because of the number in the title). I will post when it's complete.

I'm also working on the sweater for Zoe (like George's) and the black pair of arm warmers for my sister. Bouncing back and forth keeps me from getting bored and they move along instead of becoming UFO's.

Will post photos when done.

Bleeech

2008-09-16T21:50:00.000-04:00

That's pretty much how I feel right now. I think I'm coming down with a cold. It's floating around our little community and though I've tried to stay away from people who have it apparently it didn't work.

It doesn't help matters any that the Humira suppresses my immune system, so I'm anxious about getting a cold - or anything for that matter. I woke up with a slight sore throat and at the end of the day I'm getting those runny eyes, sore throat, beginning of a runny nose signs that tell me a cold is imminent. I'm hoping to get rid of it fairly quickly, but the people I know who have or have had it said it doesn't shake that quickly. GREAT!!! Just what I needed.

However, the Humira is working way better than I expected. I gave myself my third injection last Friday. I had a follow-up doctor appointment and he was thrilled that it seems to be working so well for me. So am I. The only thing I can think of is that I bruise a little easier now. I'm going to call one of the nurses to discuss that, but I think it's to be expected.

Actually one other thing that tells me it's really working is the weight gain I'm experiencing. I'm actually going to have to start watching how much I eat. It was an eat whatever I can to get some nutrients and now it's watch what I'm eating because I'm gaining too much weight. I'm not really complaining, but the weight always goes to my bust and my butt first and I feel like I'm carrying a whole other body on my rear end when I walk. I can feel the darned thing moving back there and I don't like it any more. Ms. Lopez and Ms. Kardashian can keep it all to themselves, I want my big butt gone again.

It's amazing to me how heavy that extra weight is. I can't believe I carried that around for so long and was used to it. I can't stand it now. Of course, nibbling on candy corn (as I'm doing as I type this) isn't helping any.

Oh well, there are worse things that could be happening to me right now and I am grateful beyond words that the Humira is working for me right now.

Blue arm sleeves

2008-09-14T00:50:00.000-04:00

Here are the blue arm sleeves that were made for my sister Lory. They are a little shorter than the green ones, but they work for her as well.

Dish Cloth update

2008-09-13T09:50:00.000-04:00

Here are two of the dishcloths I knitted while knitting the sleeves. The first is from the Starfish pattern:

I used the Sugar n Cream Pinky Stripes. I love the self striping yarns from Sugar n Cream. I must get more!

The second one is called Dishpan Bubbles. This pattern was so much fun to make and very easy. It is a purchased pattern from e-Patterns.com. When I saw it, I had to have it. I love the way the variegated yarn works in this pattern.

That's it for now. There were others (a DW cloth made with Sugar & Cream Fairy Tales) and a windowpane pattern that I don't think will show up well on camera.

Lory's sleeves

2008-09-13T00:02:00.000-04:00

Well after months of knitting (knitting a little, putting them down, knitting again, putting them down), some frogging and finally getting threatened to get them done "or else", I finished two pairs of the Silk Sleeves from "One Skein" for my sister.

And after they were finished and the seam was sewn, panic literally set in. I didn't think they would fit a small child, let alone my sister. But she proved me wrong. Here's a picture of the first pair. They are made from Malabrigo Lace 100% Baby Merino Wool in Verdes.

You don't have any idea how happy I am to see that they actually look like they are supposed to look on her arm. I also knitted a pair in Malabrigo that was shades of blue (can't remember the name right now) and the next pair will be black. My sisters only request is that I increase the sleeves by 4 more stitches on the upper arm. I'm hoping it won't be too big, but it shouldn't be.

While knitting the sleeves, I also knitted a few dish cloths and restarted the second sweater that was commissioned for a little girl she knows. Seeing as it is months late, I frogged it and went up one size.

I still have to take pictures of the dish cloths. I also have to make batches of peach jam tomorrow. I'm hoping the peaches I bought are still okay to use. It's been about a week since I got them, but something always seems to get in the way of my making them (like being exhausted when I get home).

So tomorrow, my goal is to take pictures of the recently finished cloths and make the jam. Piece of cake! (yeah, right...)

Happy September

2008-09-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

Another 2 months and we are heading into fall. Here's an update on what's going on:

Crafting

I've done a few dishcloths and two pairs of sleeves for my sister.

I'm not too sure about these sleeves. I followed the pattern and checked the gauge and they just seem so small, but she's a skinny thing and hopefully they will work. There is a lot of give in them. They are made from a very light weight merino. I'll post pictures in the next post.

I've been thinking about all of the patterns I've acquired throughout the years. I'm thinking that I need to stop acquiring and start making them. So I think I'll start working my way through the patterns I've saved on my computer. Just do down the list and do them. I'll have to figure out a way to list them on the blog and cross them off as they are done. It will be a big task, but what's the point of keeping the patterns if you're not going to make them?

Health

I'm still on the prednisone, once I hit 10mg in the tapering process I started having flare up symptoms and called the doctor. He put me back up to 20mg and had me begin tapering off at 2.5mg per week. I'm going down to 7.5mg tomorrow. I started my Humira injections on August 15th. I went to my doctors office to learn how to self-inject and had my initial 4 injections. Two in my tummy and one in each thigh. I decided then and there that I would have all future self-injections into my tummy. The thighs hurt way more than the tummy shots. There was hardly anything injecting into the tummy. (Hopefully I haven't grossed anyone out with the injection story.)

Anyway, I don't know if it was because it was a mega-dose or what, but I felt better in that first week and my symptoms have drastically changed for the better since being on the Humira. I gave myself the next set of injections this past Friday and have had none of the complications assocated that could possibly come up with the injections. So far I am very happy with the Humira and hope it will continue when I'm taken off of the pills (which will hopefully be very soon).

Well I guess that's it for now. I'll have to get out the camera and take some photos of the dishcloths I've done and my sisters arm sleeves. Right now I need to get out and do some chores for the day in the barn.

July !?! Update

2008-07-09T11:32:00.000-04:00

It's already July, half the year is gone!

Oh well, here's what's happening. In my continuing bouts with my Crohn's, I am on round three (or is it four) with prednisone. I waver between calling it a blessing and evil. Because it's really both. It gets rid of the inflammation and makes me feel human again, but at the same time it has a laundry list of evil side effects. My nickname when I'm on it is "Rex" after the hamster in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels because of the moon face I get from the bloating.

The latest is that as the current group of drugs I'm on aren't doing what they should so I will need to move up a level to "biologicals" which involve self-administered injections. Only they have their own laundry list of side effects and bad things. Today I have an appointment with my neurologist to review the three (yes, three) MRI's I had on Saturday to determine if there is any MS lurking in my system. As my sister has been diagnosed with it and now a half-sister also possibly has it they want to make sure I don't have any underlying as the new regimen of drugs could "bring it out" if I do. The thought that crossed my mind whenI heard my gastro say that was "lovely". But I'm thinking positive and we'll go from there.

I've added a link to my sidebar if anyone would like to learn more about Crohn's because they are curious, knows someone with it or may have symptoms and aren't sure what they are. It seems to be showing up in more people lately and I can't help but think it's tied to the crap we've been fed by food scientists for decades now.

EAT LOCAL, EAT FRESH, KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM!!!

Now on to crafting. I'm currently working on knitted sleeves for my sister. They are being knit in sport weight merino on size 9 needles and are very lightweight and airy, but talk about taking a lot of stitches to get somewhere. I'll post pictures if when they are done.

I've also been going through my crafting books (mainly quilting) and boy am I getting excited about quilting again. I have a few tops that are already pieced and just need to be quilted, so I'll probably start with those.

On the crochet front, I found a link through a dishcloth group I'm in for Crochet by Numbers you really have to check this site out. I sent him a picture and he has turned it into a pattern for me. I'm doing the test pattern right now to learn the techniques and then I'll probably do another before I tackle the picture. I'm thinking Christmas present if it works out. It is really amazing and if you crochet, I really suggest you check out the site.

Well I have to get running now. More later.

Sometimes you just have to plunge in

2008-04-10T13:28:00.000-04:00

I have been working myself up to learning to crochet for quite some time now. Well after receiving a copy of the Carol Alexander crochet newsletter that featured Thread Bears I joined the Yahoo group Thread Animals and sat down in front of the computer to learn.

I found a web site that has videos of someone teaching you how to crochet. It's called NexStitch.

It was a life saver for me because try as hard as I do, I just can't pick it up from the books. I'm just a visual learner. Anyway, doing the chains and sample stitches got real boring, real quick so I went through the dozens of patterns I've tucked away and decided to try one. It is of a pig with a chicken on it's back and I did the chicken in one night. Here he is:

Other than my hypercritical judgments, and considering he's my first object from crochet and consisted of mainly single crochet and single crochet decrease I think I did pretty good. The next one will be even better. I've done the body for the piggy and have to finish the rest of him, the the chicken can take his place perched on his back.

On another note, lately I've been on a "give me cake-like substances and give them to me NOW!" binge. The reason is I'm back on prednisone thanks to a flare up of my Crohn's Disease. Prednisone always ramps up my appetite and increases my cravings for sugar immensely. So lately I've been giving in to the cravings. It's like a have a little monkey on my back who starts smacking me in the back of the head when the cravings hit. He's a persistent little monkey and he doesn't quit until he gets his fix.

Here's a blueberry swirl coffee cake I made using the ever popular Bisquick recipe. I made a cherry one last week and this week it was blueberry. In case you're wondering, don't worry I am not the only one eating this or you wouldn't be able to get me out of the door. My glaze kind of pooled in the middle because it wasn't completely cooled (it's the monkeys fault), but the end result was yummy nonetheless.

Thread Animals

2008-04-03T01:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I received the latest issue of Talking Crochet...with Carol Alexander. She talks about a Yahoo group that is for making teddy bears and other animals from thread, needle punch and other sizes of thread and yarn.

They are gorgeous and adorable!! I immediately went to the group and signed up. This has made learning to crochet the number one thing on my list right now and I started tonight I have a disc (somewhere) to teach myself, but I can't find it. So I've found a web site with a lot of how to videos for crochet. As with knitting, the written instructions just aren't cutting it. I need to see someones hands doing it to catch on.

Not to mention there are hundreds of crochet patterns I've been collecting that I want to do (in addition to the knitting and quilting and sewing and cross stitch...I know, I know). There just aren't enough hours in the day.

I can't wait to make my first bear. Some of them are as small as 5/8". That just astounds me.

I'll update as I go along.

Illusion Bunny Cloth

2008-04-02T01:30:00.000-04:00

Well better late than never. I started and finished the Illusion Bunny Cloth from the Mid-March KAL for the Yahoo Group Monthly Dishcloths.

It's my first illusion cloth, knitted up very quickly and I love it!

Here's a picture looking straight at it:

And here's one on an angle to see the illusion. (I haven't blocked it yet, so you'll have to excuse the curly edges):

On to the first cloth for April! Glad to have actually knitted something for the first time in a couple of months.

Dragonflies are cool

2008-03-26T16:06:00.000-04:00

I've added a dragonfly to my title picture. Just for a bit of background - I was terrified of dragonflies for a long, long, time.

Here's the story. My mother married and we moved to Los Angeles, specifically, Northridge, California. At the time we moved into a brand new family apartment complex. My future high school was right across the street (Granada Hills High School - Go Highlanders!). There was a shopping complex a few blocks away that you got to by walking on an unpaved road. Later on they built a Treasury (think 70's Target) and paved it, but for a good while it was unpaved and had the usual weeds and things growing on it. During the summer those weeds were home to a lot of dragonflys. One day we were heading up to the hamburger stand to get a shake and I swear every time I tried to cross a certain part, the dragonflies would swarm.

Now mind you, I have NEVER been a bug lover. And to see these things coming at me with four wings (had never seen one before we got to Los Angeles) and seemingly only to "attack" me led me to fear and hate them for a lifetime. That is, until now.

Now, they are my friends. I have come to accept the dragonflies and have made peace with them. The biggest factor is that they eat mosquitoes. Which is great because mosquitoes love to eat me. And when they do, they leave huge, itchy, red, hot bumps that cause me no end of misery. Anything that rids my area of mosquitoes is a friend of mine.

Then they are just very cool. I've been doing some research and have found out they are very cool. But one thing that I really thought was cool was this:

Meaning of dragonfly symbol?

Answer

Dragonfly symbolism crosses and combines with that of the butterfly and change. The dragonfly symbolizes going past self-created illusions that limit our growing and changing. Dragonflies are a symbol of the sense of self that comes with maturity.

They are fantastic flyers, darting like light, twisting, turning, changing direction, even going backwards as the need arises. They are inhabitants of two realms - starting with water, and moving to the air with maturity, but staying close to water. Some people who have the dragonfly as their totem have had emotional and passionate early years, but as they get older they achieve balance with mental clarity and control. They gain an expression of the emotional and mental together.

Dragonflies are old and adaptive insects, and are most powerful in the summer under the effects of warmth and sunlight. Their colors are a result of reflecting and refracting the power of light. As a result, they are associated with color magic, illusion in causing others only to see what you wish, and other mysticism.

The are often represented in Japanese paintings, representing new light and joy. To some Native Americans they are the souls of the dead. Faerie stories say that they used to be real dragons.

Dragonflies are reminders that we are light and can reflect the light in powerful ways if we choose to do so. "Let there be light" is the divine prompting to use the creative imagination as a force within your life. They help you to see through your illusions and allow your own light to shine in a new vision.

This just represents everything I've gone through. I feel like I'm finally beginning to know myself and what I want after a life time of not knowing. My time of the year is always the summer, I just seem to grown then. Love the snow (looking at it) and the change of the seasons, but summer is my time. I feel like I'm finally moving into a good space and I am adopting the dragonfly as my symbol.

Guilty Pleasure

2008-02-16T16:49:00.000-05:00

Okay, other than crafting, my guilty pleasure is professional wrestling. I mean come on, muscular guys in tights what more could you want? But seriously, I know the storylines are fake, but the athleticism is real and it's a lot of fun to watch and escape from life for a while. So today I did a quiz to see which WWE Superstar I would be and it's The Undertaker. Which is a very good thing because he is my favorite wrestler. So pooh-pooh me if you will, but I love wrestling.

Knitting my fingers away

2008-01-16T23:46:00.000-05:00

So while I'm supposed to concentrate on quilting this year, I just can't seem to put down the knitting needles. I've finished the first dish cloth for the Monthly Dishcloths group. It's a football. I didn't have the proper color, but it will do. That pattern is definitely a keeper.

I've also been knitting fishies for and afghan that will (hopefully) be a Christmas present. I've been using bits of leftover yarn and they are so easy to make I'm already up to seven of them. The pattern comes from the Bits and Bobs group on Yahoo. I'm thinking if I can do a few a month I'll have them ready to piece together in time for Christmas.

Out of necessity I started a pair of fingerless mitts last night. I actually finished them in two days. I can't believe how easy they are to knit. I'll be making another pair in a solid color after I knit the mens version (Dashing). This is a great pattern!

I've also got to start the second sweater some time soon for my sister. I've been thinking about the first one and have some things I'll be doing when knitting this one that should make seaming easier. Always room to learn.

On to the sweater now!

UFO's

2008-01-02T16:09:00.000-05:00

I have decided to finish a number of UFO's I've had on hold for what seems to be an eternity.

One of them is an indigo and cream colored quilt that I've been literally working on for years. Well, working on isn't correct because I haven't touched it in over a year, maybe longer. That is one of the ones that needs to be completed. I believe it is quilted over 2/3.

The other is Eric's quilt which was to be completed two years ago and still isn't done. Then I need to make one for new little brother Nathan. Only he's not that new as he's now 7 months old.

I started cutting pieces for a Double Wedding Ring and a Grandmothers Flower Garden eons ago. Time to finish cutting them and start piecing them. I've also got quilts I've been gathering fabrics for that need to be done. Lots to do this year.

Then there are cross stitch and knitting projects to finish.

I'll start a list and add to it as I come across more. I'm hoping this will be a very productive year on the craft end.

Happy 2008

2008-01-01T03:40:00.000-05:00

Here's to a new year filled with much crafting and joy. I plan on completing a lot of UFO's this year. I have to knit two more sweaters, but then it's a push to finish the UFO's I have hanging around. Time to get them done.

Ravelry

2007-12-28T23:20:00.000-05:00

I'm just now getting around to talking about Ravelry on my blog. Like many others I had no clue what it was. I just saw a lot of ladies chatting excitedly over being on the list and waiting for their invitation, so I headed over and did the same.

It took about a month and I got my invitation and am now a member under ChickMistress.

What can I say - I love the place. I can spend hours just looking at other peoples projects for inspiration. I've uploaded my yarn stash (nothing terribly exciting), done the same for my projects and I've joined three groups.

I love that I can be somewhat organized by using the site. It's wonderful. I've added a Ravelry button to the side bar that links you to Ravelry.

If you haven't joined, sign up for the invitation and come see what it's all about. There are a lot of beautiful items and patterns on this site and if that doesn't get your creative juices flowing, I don't know what will.

George's Sweater Is Done!

2007-12-24T18:10:00.000-05:00

The sweater I was knitting for my sister as a gift to George (who is a girl by the way) is done. The skull was done using a duplicate stitch. I wasn't really thrilled with it to the point that I ripped it out 3 times before I accepted the final. I have a feeling the next two will be better. She wanted two originally and has now "commissioned" a third.

This was my very first sweater of any size and I'm just happy to have gotten through it without having any major disasters. Now on to the next one!

Happy holidays to everyone!

Sweater Update

2007-12-10T22:58:00.000-05:00

The sweater is coming along well. I've finished the back, two front sides and am working on the sleeves which will be a breeze because the seed stitch is only used on five rows!

That's it for now. I'll put a picture of the components on when I block them (hopefully tomorrow night).

Lion Brand Eyelet Yoke Cardigan

2007-11-27T20:38:00.000-05:00

This is the sweater that I am making at my sister's request for two little girls as Christmas presents. They are both in Cotton Ease Charcoal and will be embroidered with the a skull with a bow. She wants hip sweaters instead of cutesy.

Here's the sweater. If you click on the picture it will take you to the pattern. It is listed as easy and so far it has been. My only downer is the seed stitch which makes me nuts (K,P,K,P,K,P) but it is a pretty stitch. Fortunately it's not the entire sweater, just the bands:

So far I've done the first 5 rows of seed stitch and 5 rows of stockinette. I've got to do stockinette for quite a while so I'm going to get to work. This is the first sweater I've every done, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it comes out.

Currently on the needles

2007-11-24T11:10:00.000-05:00

Today I started knitting House Mittens by Ruth Bendig. I'm only on the fifth row of the cuff but so far so good. These are for me, I need mittens pronto. We've got snow on the ground! Nothing like cold to spur you on with your knitting.

I've also started a bookmark using size 10 crochet thread. Such teeny tiny stitches, I love it.

My next project(s) will be two sweaters to get done in time for Christmas. I will be using the Eyelet Yoke Cardigan from Lion Brand and I'll be duplicate stitching a skull and cross bones motif on the front panel of each as requested by my sister who is giving them as gifts. She wants cool sweaters for the girls. I've found a skull motif with a bow that I think I'll use. I'll run it by the giver of the gifts first.

I picked up 5 books from the library yesterday. Four of them are Debbie Bliss baby and child books. That woman knows how to make some beautiful patterns. One of the books has patterns for adults as well and there's more than one sweater I've fallen in love with in that book. I've got a LOT of baby knitting to do. Just to do it. They are too beautiful to pass on. I just have to decide on which one to do first...and that's the hard part. Maybe I'll put them all in a hat and pull one out. Decisions, decisions.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T09:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I hope it is a joyful one.

We've gotten through another year of turkey deliveries. This one was a bit more stressful than others due to a theft of some of our turkeys and getting rear ended while out delivering others.

We still can't figure out why someone stole 6 turkeys from us, but I hope they bring a lot of joy to the people who ended up with them because they ruined Thanksgiving for 6 other families. As for the girl who rear ended us, I hope your cat is okay and that you have enough sense not to drive with it in your lap in the future. One thing we have learned is that we will not be delivering turkeys next year. Pick-ups only.

I haven't done much crafting. I did cast on and finish about 9 rows of a bookmark yesterday while we were out delivering. I had to do something to relax my mind. The yarn for a sweater I'm making as a Christmas gift is on the way. I know I'm cutting it close, but it is a child's sweater so it shouldn't be too hard to get done.

We are going out to eat, no cooking for me today. I'll probably throw a turkey in the oven tomorrow so we have some around, but I just couldn't do it today. I'm beat, it's been a long 6 days since we started getting turkeys ready for Thanksgiving.

I'm off to get ready for the day.

Knitting in LA

2007-11-14T18:21:00.000-05:00

I did some knitting while I was on the plane and in LA. I did Saartje's Bootees, 2 dish cloths and started the Baby Bib from One Skein while on the plan back.

I need to put buttons on the booties and the I-Cord on the bib, but they are very cute in their interim stage.

Here are the baby bootees, I still need to add the buttons and block them:

I used the lime green self-striping Sugar and Cream yarn for the dish cloth which is very cool yarn:

Here is the baby bib sans I-Cord:

I'm missing a picture of the dish cloth I did in the self-striping red, white and blue cotton. My sister can't find it and thinks her cats have made off with it. But then again I may have given it to Shon when she took me to the airport. I can't remember, my mind is a like a sieve some days...just too much going through it.

I picked up a book today at the library on dying your own self-patterned yarns. They even have a watermelon self-striping pattern. I'm definitely going to work towards doing my own. It looks like a lot of fun. Well I've got to get some work done before I can have some fun knitting. So more later.

In LA

2007-11-05T23:18:00.000-05:00

Got here around 11pm on Saturday night. I brought 7 dozen eggs with me and chicken. The chicken was frozen and got checked through with the baggage. No problem there. The eggs were in my carry on. No problem last year, but then it turns out that my first flight had a small plane that the larger carry-on's wouldn't fit into so they had to be "valet" checked. I explained that there were eggs in it and to be careful, but that didn't happen. Until I got onto the second flight and attempted to put the carry-on into the overhead did I realize there was a problem.
How did I find out you ask? Because it started leaking egg. I ran back up to the front, got some bags from the crew and cleaned them out. Salvaged about 3 dozen all together. Pissed me off to no end.

The weather here has been a bit overcast. Actually sprinkled a bit today. But I'll take that over the snow that's supposed to come this week in Michigan. Snow...already.

I started Saartje's Booties at the airport during the layover and finished them today. Well I still need to put the buttons on, but all of the ends have been weaved in and are done. I did them in black and white. The bottoms are black and the uppers are white. Now I'm doing the baby bolero from One Skein to match in black. This is at the request of my sister who is going to give them both as baby gifts.

The best part of the trip has been seeing my sister. The second best thing has been going to Joann's and finding the Sugar n Cream Super Size Cotton on sale for $1.99 each and the Sugar n Cream Stripes on sale for $1.99 each. I got five of the self-striping and seven solids in the super size. I a SO happy!!!! I also got a Lion Brand cotton in black. It wasn't on sale, but the difference was more than made up for with the Sugar n Cream sale.

And I picked up some notions that were 30% off. I'll try to get a picture of the booties and bolero. I forgot to bring my digital camera (and a couple of other things).

Heading out

2007-11-03T13:21:00.000-04:00

Taking knitting with me to do on the plane and a couple of books to read. My Sissy is looking forward to buying some yarn and knitting when I get there. I've got to take chicken and eggs with me and other goodies for everyone.

I'll be back on Friday. I'm hoping the weather is fair there. It's been getting cold here. I don't know if I'm looking for a cold, cold winter. Well gotta go finish packing. Maybe I'll get to post some things while I'm there.

Going to see my Sissy tomorrow

2007-11-02T13:02:00.000-04:00

Doing a million-kazillion things today in preparation for my trip to Los Angeles to see my little Sissy. She was recently in the hospital and is back home recovering. I was originally going out to help her recover from a hysterectomy because of fibroids, but she had an episode with her MS that preceded that so I'm still heading out.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing her and a couple of friends. My main focus will be on getting her back on her feet and working out some other things. I'll be taking knitting with me as I have lay-overs (can't get the cheap tickets without lay-overs, but that's cool) Just have to figure out what knitting. As it is I'm taking about a dozen eggs, heritage garlic, homemade pickles, some locally made mustard and hot dogs for my God-sister Shon and if I get them made today, raspberry jam. I'd better get it made today or it's not happening. I'm hoping the raspberries are still okay. If not, then that's one less thing to do.

Did I mention laundry and packing? Nothing like leaving everything to the last minute...lol Gotta move, lots of things to do.

Finish number three for The Challenge

2007-10-29T14:20:00.000-04:00

Well I finished the pin cushions. Here are 3 of them. They are Halloween/Fall themed. They were super easy to make. I found the instructions here.

Now I want to make a bunch more out of my scraps. I used flannel tops and felt bottoms on these, the next group will be all fabric. I have some batik scraps I want to use up.

I want to tackle something bigger knitting-wise other than dish cloths. I love knitting dish cloths, but I feel like I'm in a rut with them and when I try something bigger I end up frogging like crazy and then throwing the whole thing in the corner out of frustration. So now it's time to tackle something bigger. The funny thing is one of the very first things I knit after learning was a pair of socks. And I think I did a darned good job on them too. Got to get back to the bigger stuff. More later.

Books Read 2007

2007-10-22T12:30:00.000-04:00

I've been keeping track of the books I'm reading this year. One to see how many I've read and two so I can remember which ones I've read when I check the library.

There are 68 so far, I will update as more are added. They are listed to the left.

Most are fiction. I've become addicted to Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton. The Evanovich books have me laughing out loud constantly. Laughter is a good thing. Surprisingly to me, I loved "Shadow Divers" which was actually checked out by my partner. I learned a lot about deep sea wreck diving. I would never have the courage to do it, but it is fascinating.

I haven't been adding any crafting books, but I guess they would count too. so I'll start listing them as well.

Challenge Finish

2007-10-20T20:50:00.000-04:00

This is one from my Wagon 10 Challenge Finish. It's the Skull and Crossbones. Not the greatest picture, but it's finished! Nine more to go!

Proof that I have finished something

2007-10-20T19:48:00.000-04:00

Only a day late in posting finishes. I've added a Flickr badge to the right of some dishcloths that I've finished recently. By finished I mean knitted. I still need to wash and block them.

Here is one that's on the needles to be finished:

I've got a bunch of others I want to do. They will get posted as I go.

Good things and not so good things

2007-10-16T20:23:00.000-04:00

Good things - It's only Tuesday and it's been a doozy of a week so far. On the good end, our farm picked up an account at a new local grocery store to carry our pasture raised chicken, turkey and eggs. We made our first delivery last Thursday. We came home from market on Sunday to a message requesting more eggs and on Monday received a call for more chicken. On top of that they've ordered 50 or our turkeys for Thanksgiving.

Needless to say we are extremely happy that our product is selling at the store. We know that once people taste our chicken and eggs they tend to become loyal customers. It's just really nice to see it happen at a retail level.

So most of today was spent getting the second order prepped and out the door and we'll be making our third delivery on Thursday. If you want to check out the store here's the link: Plum Market

It's a really great store. I can wander around there for hours. I got an amazing 3 year old gouda cheese from them today. The flavor is incredible.

Needless to say, my crafting has very much been hit and miss. I get some knitting in while riding in the passenger seat to market. I've cut out several pieces for the pin cushions and now I need to sew, stuff and finish them. Then I need to wash and block all the dish cloths. I've promised myself that Thursday night is craft night so I plan to have some pictures to post on Friday of something...ANYTHING...craft related.

I've got to get something done on my Wagon Challenge list. I have actually knitted the skull and cross bones cloth, I just have to block it.

Not so good things - On the health front, I'm experiencing major "moon" face from the prednisone. I actually startled myself last night when I looked in the mirror. I didn't realize how pronounced it was this time around. It looks like I'll be on the prednisone for a while so I'll just have to get used to it.

My sister has been in the hospital since last Wednesday out in LA with numbness in her feet. She was diagnosed with MS about 5 years ago and after a bunch of tests and a spinal tap they have decided she is having a recurrence of the MS which is causing the numbness. They don't know if it will go back to normal or stay the way it is or partially go away, she'll have to wait and see. I'll be out in LA the first week of November to help her recuperate from surgery for something else...if she still has it. Her neurologist is worried that the surgery will be another level of physical stress on her body and make the MS worse. So we'll have to decide if she's going to have it. It seems that if it's not one thing, it's another for us as far as health is concerned lately. Time to do some positive visualization.

So that's it for the day. I'm turning in so I can get up at 4a.m. tomorrow and feed the chicks and turkeys and prep the next order for the store and farmers' markets. Then I'm going to craft something just to remind myself that I can get something finished.

Major Updating

2007-10-09T13:51:00.000-04:00

I'll be working on adding links and stuff to the blog and getting some pictures in of finished work. I've added new header art (which I love) and will be working on the side bars soon.

Off to tend to the chicks now.

Evil Flare Up

2007-09-29T19:05:00.000-04:00

As I wrote previously, I have Crohn's Disease. My first course of treatment was prednisone and Asacol to knock the inflammation down and keep it down. Well after finally being weaned from the prednisone and feeling like a million dollars after hovering around a penny for so long I started feeling the symptoms return and they returned with a vengeance.

I think it's a combination of not having the prednisone coursing through my system and a lack of firm diligence on my behalf towards keeping an eye on a proper diet. I have been avoiding preservatives, additives and such like the plague, but some things (chocolate, an occasional latte) started appearing on the scene too much and I'm now paying the price.

So now I have a wicked flare up of my Crohn's and I'm back on the prednisone until my new meds kick in. That will take a few months but they are supposed to have fewer nasty possible consequences that come from being on prednisone for too long of a time. This is something I'm going to be dealing with for the rest of my life and it is going to be a very difficult thing to maintain considering our culture of food. I love to cook so it's not a problem, the problem is planning ahead far enough to cover the bases if I'm out of the house too long. I've got some serious sorting out to do with this because I don't want the list of meds to continue to grow and I don't want a hospital stay and I don't want to be one of the many who end up having surgery as a result of this disease.

I also will have to take a calcium/Vitamin D supplement twice a day and have regular blood work done to make sure everything is balanced properly with the new med. And I do so love getting poked and having my blood drawn...NOT.

So expect the occasional rant about this. It's got to go somewhere...

My 10 Finish Challenge on The Wagon

2007-09-29T19:02:00.000-04:00

Here's my list of items to finish for my challenge:

1. 12 Days of Christmas cloths
2. Bath Mitt
3. Ghost cloth
4. Bat cloth
5. ~~Skull & Crossbones cloth~~
6. ~~Weave in the ends, wash and block 8 finished cloths (separate from the above)~~
7. ~~Pumpkin pin cushions (6)~~
8. Simplify cross stitch
9. Farm cross stitch
10. Eric's quilt (which is a little over due considering he's now 2 and I started it before he was born )

Okay, so far I've been weaving in ends. I've been a bit under the weather and with that and all the other work around here it's been hectic, but it's nice to have a list to work from. I'll update as I finish them.

It only seems like forever

2007-09-10T00:25:00.000-04:00

Since I made my last post, that is. The summer has flown by. Most of my time has been spent tending to the chickens and selling at the markets which is how I make my living, hence the title of my blog ChickMistress Crafts.

As the chickens (and lately turkeys) have been taking up the vast majority of my time, my crafting has suffered greatly. Lately I've been knitting dish cloths, two for a fellow vendor at one of the markets I sell at. She requested that I make her a set of frog dish cloths to match the ones I gave her at Christmas. I have 1/2 of the final one to make, then I weave in the ends, wash and block and hand them over.

It's not so much that I lack inspiration, it's just a matter of finding the time. Summer is our prime season so everything else pretty much goes on the back burner.

However, in an attempt to rectify that I have joined "The Wagon." The Wagon is a board for crafters that has various groups and challenges to keep help keep you on track with project challenges, etc. I'll be starting a 10 finish challenge as soon as I figure out what 10 items I'd like to complete soon. Shouldn't be too hard to figure them out, it's the doing part. But I'm hoping the site will make me focus more. The also have a group that promises to only work from their stashes. I'll try that one after the 10 finish challenge, or maybe I'll go to a 25 challenge then.

There are some brave souls on there who list 100 finish challenges. I get dizzy just thinking about it.

For now it's off to bed, tomorrow I'll figure out the 10 and list them here as well as The Wagon board.

The Bloat

2007-05-29T18:47:00.000-04:00

I have now been on my meds for 4 weeks. I have to admit that I am feeling nearly 100 percent better. I have my appetite back (almost too much of an appetite). I'm seriously going to have to watch my intake. But as of Friday I began retaining water. Retained to the tune of 29 pounds as of this morning. I know I haven't eaten enough to gain that amount of weight and it is definitely bloat because I didn't look like this Thursday night.

After a call to my gastroenterologist I was told that I should have been tapering off of the Prednisone by now. Only problem is they didn't give me any tapering instructions and the next appointment I have isn't until July. How the heck was I supposed to know to taper? Anyway, I'll be tapering down for the next few weeks at a rate of 1/2 pill per week. Maybe now the "moon face" that is typical of Prednisone use will begin to fade too.

Right now my legs look like stuffed sausages and my tummy jiggles from all of the water when I walk. I'll be going in to see my primary care physician tomorrow and hopefully I'll get a diuretic or something because it's painful around the legs right now.

But other than the weight gain, I'm feeling really good. I've been drinking kefir smoothies once a day. They are good and seem to be helping get the bacteria levels evened out. I'm still reading "Breaking The Vicious Cycle" and making notes. I'll be tackling that food plan in earnest once I fully understand what's expected. If it puts me into remission and keeps me there, I'm all for it.

Well that's it, I've gone from bony to bloated and from literally starving to can't get enough to eat. I need to find the happy medium already!

Presenting Nathan Christopher

2007-05-26T03:02:00.000-04:00

Born on May 25, 2007 at 6:39pm, weight 7 pounds 14 ounces, length 21 inches and he's as gorgeous as his two big brothers Matthew and Eric.

New teapot set

2007-05-26T02:55:00.000-04:00

I have a thing for tea pots. Love them, love them, love them. I had quite a collection going until it was taken out by the big quake in Los Angeles. I didn't quite have the heart to start collecting them again, but they've slowly been returning in various ways.

My most recent acquisition is from My Other Sissy Paula. My sissy Lory sent along some wonderful teas and honey that are supposed to be good for tummy ailments.

Paula found this at her mom's house and sent it along for me to have and take care of. I was blown away when I opened the box, it's absolutely beautiful. I don't want to use it, but I may have a feeling I'm going to have to so I can just sit and stare at it. Thank you very much Paula and Lory!!!

First goslings of the year

2007-05-23T19:42:00.000-04:00

While sitting at my desk I glanced out the window and saw a group of little fuzzy yellow creatures sitting with their mom. Our first nest of goslings has hatched! We've got about 7 or 8 more nests to go. We got six with the first group. Last year we had a total of 21. We're going to be overrun by geese!! Anyone need any pet geese?

As you can see the security force is on alert to protect the babies. I love the social interaction the geese have. They really band together to protect the little ones.

Crohn's Disease

2007-05-22T18:35:00.000-04:00

BE WARNED, THIS POST MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES AND MEDICAL PROCEDURES!!

Well how's that for a topic? For the past 9 or so (maybe more) years I have been having recurring problems with my intestinal tract and my eyes. The problem with my eyes was diagnosed as iritis and it would flair up on occasion and send me scurrying to my opthamologist for the necessary treatments (generally steroid drops).

My intestinal problems turned into a medical chart of epic proportions. One of the first doctors who treated me pretty much figured it was all in my head. Why? Because I'm female? Who knows, all I know is he referred me to a psychologist who based on the questions he asked seemed to think my sex life had something to do with my stomach issues.

Skipping ahead a little, one day my ankles were swollen beyond belief so I went in to have them looked at. After a swivel or two the same doctor who sent me to the shrink pronouced it arthritis and put me on Voltaren. BIG MISTAKE. I wound up in Urgent Care the next day with every joint in my body swollen. I moved at a snails pace. Once they got me inside and did the preliminary questions they asked me if I could stay to see the rheumotologist. Where else was I going? This doctor turned out to be sent from heaven. Not only did he get pissed off at the misdiagnosis (no I DON'T have arthritis) but after glancing at my two ton medical chart he asked what else was wrong. Upon telling him about my stomach issues he wrote a prescription for Pepcid. I swear to you the next day after I took it, the relief was almost immediate. I promptly made him my primary physician.

So skip ahead to 2004. In between I had the recurring iritis issues and some stomach spells, but nothing really bad. I moved from Los Angeles to Michigan. Big change. BIG CHANGE. A welcome change, one I wanted more than anything. I was tired of the city, the noise, the smog, the people, the concrete, hunting for parking, the hour long 12 mile drive to work on the freeway. It was time for blue skies, green grass and actual seasons again. The first year I got here, I was in heaven. I still am, but around mid-2005 the stomach problems started to creep up again. I wrote it off to stress from starting a new business venture. But it kept getting worse. Between working to get the farm ready for our business (raising chickens for meat and eggs and turkeys) I dropped 40 pounds. I was a big girl when I came here (277.5) so losing the weight was a very happy and good thing.

However, as my stomach ailments increased the weight began to melt away. Some people might think that is a good thing, but not when you lose 100 pounds in the course of a year because you cannot eat. It hurt so much that at one point eating was a chore and I didn't want to do it. I spent more time running to the bathroom and in the bathroom than I did working.

Now leaving a steady paying job to raise chickens also left me without medical insurance. No insurance, no visits to the doctor. After locating a local health plan I was placed on the waiting list. Once an opening came up I went in, completed the paperwork and was immediately sent to a doctor. By this time I had lost 120 pounds total.

My new doctor and her staff have been wonderful. Not having insurance is rough. Some things were covered on the plan and some things weren't (like hospitalization costs). In order to have the hospitalization covered I had to apply for another plan which I am very grateful to have been approved for and the hospital is picking up most, if not all, of any hospitalization costs.

Anyway, one ultrasound later I was referred for a colonoscopy. I was originally told I couldn't get in to see the doctor until July (this was in February). As my protein, iron and sodium numbers were steadily dropping my primary physician's office went a little nuts and after some demands got me in earlier.

Earlier turned out to be May 7 after a CAT scan to clarify some of the ultrasound pictures. I met with the doctor for the initial visit and the second I mentioned iritis he said "Has anyone ever said the words Crohn's Disease to you?" Well no, never. It turns out Crohn's can be a direct cause of iritis. He was baffled that no one had ever put the two together. After hearing that, so was I. He was pretty sure that's what I had, but he wanted the colonoscopy to verify it.

Enter into a bit of a nightmare. I was warned about the pre-cleansing, that it would be pretty horrible. And they were right. Boy were they right. I checked in to the clinic at 7:30am on May 7th, put on the backwards gown, had the blood pressure and pulse checked. The IV line was inserted (I can't begin to tell you how much I hate having needles of any kind poked into me, but how much I really HATE HAVING THEM POKED INTO MY HAND!!!) and I waited patiently to be rolled in for the procedure. About an hour later, I went in and all I remember is watching the nurse administer the first dose of sedative and that was all she wrote. No counting backwards or anything, just sweet oblivion.

The aftermath was anything but sweet. My colon was so swollen that they had to give me multiple doses of sedative to keep my out. When they rolled me into recovery, my partner and very good friend was told that I wouldn't be giving him any trouble today because they really had to knock me out. Good thing he was there because I vaguely remember seeing the doctor talk but I don't remember a word he was saying. I was told he said he didn't need to wait for biopsies to confirm that it was Crohn's and wrote me out two prescriptions. I got dressed, had a couple of Lorna Doone's and half a glass of juice and headed out the door. I then proceeded to throw up the entire trip home and afterwards.

During the colonoscopy they will use a little air to inflate the colon to enable the probe to move about more freely. They tell you there may be some cramping because of this but the air will pass. My colon was so irritated that they had to use extra. It was no joy ride, the pain was excruciating. So between worshipping the porcelain god, I had massive attacks of cramping and gas from the air leaving the area. At some point I managed to crawl into bed and pass out.

Only to wake up the next day feeling like I was on fire. Turns out I was. I had a temperature of 103.4. After a call into my doctor I left a message with the nurse and my partner was busy hosing me down with damp rags and ice to try and get the temp down. I missed the doctors call later that day because I was once again out of it in bed. When I woke up the next morning, the fever had broken and I and the bed were drenched in sweat. This is gross, but it was the most awful smell as well. Something wasn't right. I spoke to the doctor finally and he explained that the throwing up and high temperature came from the extra amounts of sedatives they had to give me. I wasn't up and running for a good 4 days. He asked me if I remembered any of the procedure and when I said no, he very quickly said "that's good!" It must have been a doozy is all I can say. I think every toxin in my body was released when that fever broke. I was having some trouble turning my head from side to side before (once again I was thinking stress related) but now I can darn near swivel it like an owl with no pain. Not to mention I haven't had a single Tylenol since the procedure. Like I said, some bad toxins must have been released.

I am now on a regimen of Prednisone and Asacol to treat the inflammation. I'm on my second week of the meds and the past two days have been the first where I feel like I'm finally firing on all pistons. My intestinal tract has greatly calmed down, but it's only the second week so i've still got a long way to go. There are days when I wake up perky and ready to go and then deflate like a balloon half way through the day.

Since the diagnosis I have met quite a few people who have the same disease. It's actually been really uplifiting to know that I'm haven't been losing my mind and I'm not the only one. One of my customers referred me to a wonderul lady who almost lost her life to this disease because they didn't diagnosis it properly and they have both steered me towards drinking kefir as part of my treatment to get the bacteria in my system back up to where they should be. I drank my first kefir smoothie (with berries, banana and honey) last night and despite my previous aversion to milk products because of the insuing gas and pain, I had no issues whatsover with the kefir. I make my own using the "grain" the customer gave me.

I was also referred to a book called "Breaking the Vicious Cycle - Intestinal Health through Diet" by Elaine Gottschall which gives you a diet to follow to get the Crohn's and other intestinal diseases under control. It arrived today (thanks Amazon!) and I'll be reading it thoroughly. It does call for eating homemade yogurt (again to get your healthy bacteria back up) so I'll be looking forward to that as well.

Basically it's all about eating clean, fresh foods. No additives, no preservatives, no MSG, etc. I had cut a lot of that out on my own trying to doctor myself. Now I'm going to be even stricter with it.

Needless to say, while I'm finally very happy to have a name to the condition I have, I still have the fears of having to live with this. There is no known cure. All you can do is try to bring it into remission and keep it there. Steroids are nasty little suckers that have their own set of problems tacked on (like the moon face I'm developing, possible cataracs, glaucoma, etc.) so you can't be on them forever. Not to mention my other med has a copay of $200 a refill. I've applied to the manufacturer to try to get that one at a lower cost or for free. I'm hoping like crazy to be accepted to the program. Right now I have a box full of samples from the doctor to get me through for the time being.

My weight right now is 132.5. That's up 4 pounds since the colonoscopy. I dropped 9 doing the cleansing for an all time low of 128.5. Which would bring my total weight loss to 149 pounds. I don't recommend it as a method to lose weight. Now my goal is to get some weight on. Being able to count your ribs is not fun. All those times I wanted to lose weight. Now I have and I'm miserable. I'm hoping to get up to about 150 (I'm 5' 10 1/2" with a smallish frame) I'm finally getting my appetite back so hopefully the weight will follow.

Whew, this has been some post, so I'm going to wrap it up. I know this has nothing to do with crafting, but in a way it does because dealing with this has put a serious damper on my creativity for pretty much the past year and half. Now that I know what I'm dealing with I'm feeling the juices start to turn again and will be getting back to work. I need to reduce stress levels so crafting will be my way to do it.

If anyone out there reads this and has Crohn's Disease and would like to share and/or commiserate with me, please feel free to drop me an email. Thanks for working your way through this post if you did. I hope I haven't bored anyone silly or grossed anyone out. It really helps to get it out of my head and that's what blogs are for!

New blog

2007-04-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

This blog will combine my two older blogs "Getting Knitty With It" and "Too Crafty For My Own Good." I haven't been keeping those two up, things have changed, I'm consolidating for ease of upkeep.

I'll get to work on this one as I can.