On the Hook

Bright colors!!  I love bright colors and right now I'm working on a market bag in, what else?  Bright colors.

I am using the Hexagon Market Bag Pattern from Lion Brand.  This is the second one I've made and I just love everything about it!  The hexagons were intimidating at first, but once I got the hang of it, they just fly off my hook!  I love all the millions of color combinations that can be done.  The bag is a nice size.  The one thing I did change is the hook size.  I am using an I hook instead of H.

I fell in love with these Sugar 'n Cream colors.  It all started with the variegated and I went from there.  Not being able to find a yellow that matched suitably, I just went with orange and pink and I love it!

I love how fast progression is due to how quick the hexagons go.  And since they are ever changing, I don't get bored.  ~Smile~  I have to have projects that keep my interest.

I have completed all the hexagons and they are sewn together. All that's left is the handles.  Look's like it will go to the farmers market with me Saturday!

Have a great Wednesday!!


Do you have a WIP too?  Link up here, share so we can all see too!!










*I am not getting paid by Lion Brand to promote their yarn or by Lily Sugar n Cream.  I just love it.  But if either company is interested in letting play with their yarn and review it, I won't complain.  Promise.

Currently On My Hook

Good lovely morning to ya!  Time is flying by me this week, well, and month and well, year!  I mean, really I already need to be thinking and starting the baby hat charity project!  Whew, maybe next week while I'm on "vacation".

Anywho, back to the purpose of today's post. . .a works in progress post, connected to a meme.  It's been awhile since I linked up to a meme, but this one just seemed to fit.  I mean, its a Work In Progress meme, like I said, it just fit.  If you are a yarn crafter and have a project to share link up here!!

Being the crochetess (yes, like lioness but crochetess) that I am, I have many, many things on my hooks right now.  I have a baby hat (summer weave) under way, I have another drawstring bag underway, a pair of socks (that will be a WIP for years I feel certain~GAH!) and my shawl.  Yes, MY shawl.  It dawned on me a few months ago that while I make loads of crochet items I don't have any for myself.  Don't get me wrong I love to make things for others, but I have nothing to show people when they ask what I make except a picture.  So I decided that between orders for the business and gifts for others I would throw in the occasional item for myself.  Last week I made myself a pair of slippers (very cute, different post).  But then I ran across this pattern on Ravelry that made me want to start crocheting immediately!  It was beautiful but simple.  Since I have never made a shawl before I wanted something simple to get me started and this pattern was perfect.

I love picking out colors for a new project.  I stood in my local crafty store comparing and debating and finally decided on Lion Brand Homespun (which was the yarn suggested and happens to be one of my favorites) and the name of the color is Painted Desert.  I love this yarn because it a fabulous luxurious feel to the finished project and the colors are gorgeous!  It is a beautiful variegated.  I could continue to try and describe it, but I'll just show you the picture instead.  ~Smile~

Doesn't this yarn just make you smile?  Actually it makes me smile and then sigh in contentedness.  I love the deep tones from a burnt orange to a light purple and many other colors in between, this yarn makes me happy.  I can see myself, sipping hot tea, shawl around my shoulders, reading an ebook on a chilly, crisp fall morning. . .awwww. . . okay, enough rambling.  Back to reality.

I have never worked a pattern that had a point, so the first few rows were slow going, just getting used to the pattern, but now I'm rolling.  

This pattern calls for 32 rows and I'm just starting row 11.  I think though that I want my shawl to be a little wider so I will have a few more rows.  Hook size:  L11/8.00 mm.

I am hoping to have a different WIP for next Wednesday, but only time will tell.  ~Laughter~

Now I just need fall to hurry and get here so that I can wear my colorful shawl and sip hot tea!



*I am not getting paid by Lion Brand to promote their yarn.  I just love it.  But Lion Brand if you are interested in letting play with your yarn and review it, I won't complain.  Promise.

Handmade LOVE (THE Series #3)

(Just a few crocheted items, please forgive the school work in the background)

I love creating things. A few people seem to like what I make and the ladies at church keep me busy with accessory orders. I have tons of ideas running through this head of mine and not nearly enough time to make them all!! But I decided that this year I would open an etsy shop.

Now, to have a shop you must have stock. And those precious church ladies keep buying up my stock before I can get them listed!! ~Laughter~ But I am working diligently to get some items listed. I told them Sunday that I would have to make things and NOT bring them to church so that I can get them on the site. I am very appreciative of my sisters though, make no mistake! So, impersonating a person that has an infinite amount of time, I have opened the etsy store, despite it's lack of stock at the moment.

I made a commitment to the Lord that I would pray over every item as I am making it, that the receiver would be blessed and live in the shadow of the Almighty. I prayed and asked God to use me, in any way possible, including my etsy shop. It is my desire to share God this year, to share His faithfulness, His love, His salvation and His grace. If I can sell my handmade items and share God too, that's getting the cake and eating it. I believe God is already honoring my efforts to add to the family budget and share of His mercy.

My etsy shop is called Spindle & Linen, under SheWorkethWillingly. . . it's a Proverbs 31 thing, scriptures below.

(Note cards!)

Here are a few items that were either ordered or are for sale, just not listed yet. The pics aren't fabulous, but they work. I just wanted to share my love for handmade items and my passion to create.

(Giant black flower, jean rosettes and polk-a-dot fun)

Crochet headwraps and scarves for little girlies

Mickey Headwrap!!

Houndstooth rosette headband and broach with feathers (it's mine, but more can be made)

Special order white large flower with feathers!

The back of my head with red rose and black feathers! ~Smile~

So there you are! Fully updated about my handmade love! I love to crochet and I'm still learning to knit~hopefully by next fall the etsy shop will have crochet and knitted items. I will post a link to the etsy shop here when I have stock listed.

Here are the scriptures that I pulled from for my shop name and my purpose.

"She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."~~Proverbs 31:13

"She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle."~~Proverbs 31:19

"She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple."~~Proverbs 31:22

This is NOT a post about how all women should make things handmade or work with their hands~~it is simply how the Lord led me! Please take no offense!! ~Smile~

It's the Christmas Season. . . . .

and I can't believe it's been so long since I posted!!! Time is flying past me and I am holding on for dear life!

A quick update:

Fall is over, pumpkins put away and snowmen litter my dining room, living room and kitchen. Thanksgiving was wonderful! My parents came here, I cooked the meal and we just relaxed, played games and had fun. We went on a very quick trip to see friends in Indiana and now we are working on finishing up school work for our Christmas break!!

My fingers are flying, I have many crochet orders to get finished up for Christmas, not to mention the gifts I need to finish. I am loving it though!! I feel my creative juices flowing again, which also helps me to post here! I will post pics here when everything gets done (and given away, I would hate for the receivers to see before Christmas)!

This year has been one of great changes for me in lots of ways, some good, some not so good. There will be more about this in a later post, but from all this life-changiness has come an in depth study of Proverbs 31. Yes, I know, for most women its "the dreaded" chapter of Proverbs. God has been giving me some wonderful insight into this passage as well as working on my heart. I will be sharing some on here too.

I have so much to write about, talk about, praise God for and pray about and I have missed blogging and reading blogs, but I have been dedicating myself to time management. I am ready to add all things bloggy back onto my plate without too much of the plate getting taken up.

Now, back to teaching, I am pretty sure they are running amuck. . . I can blog when they sleep! ~Laughter~

Crocheting, Knitting and Sewing, OH MY!

I love to crochet. I love to sit down, turn on some jazz music, a podcast or dramatic theatre and listen while I create fun yarny stuff. I love to give it away. I finally sat down last week and made a scarf, for me. I have made probably 50 scarves in the last 3 years and I have given every single one away, which I love and was glad to do, but I decided that I needed one. I would never make it if I had to sell them to survive because I don't have as much fun crocheting for money, it's my hobby, and I love to bless others with it. I recently went shopping on the Lion Brand Yarn (my fav!!) website and got some new ideas and yarn and I also bought a specific yarn and knitting needles because I am finally going to get lessons from a fabulous knitter!! My Pastor's wife is amazing with the knitting needles and since teaching myself didn't go so well, she is going to teach me. I can't wait! My excitement overflows!! I have found no less than 50 things I want to knit and I have a sincere desire to make my own socks. I know I just confirmed your suspicions that I am a little off, but what can I say?!? I am who I am. But knitting my own socks in all the wild and loud colors I love just sounds divine! Not to mention if knitting is as relaxing as crocheting is for me then I should be one chilled out lady, which I need.

Sewing. I haven't been using my sewing machine as much lately because of all the crocheting and I do still have a family to take care of, but I have some new flannel for flannel wipes and a couple of projects for Makiah. I have tons of projects in mind, but I still need to get my skills back in shape, like I said before its been awhile since I have used a machine. The wipes are giving me the opportunity to practice my seams and lines and make all the wipes I need for cleaning and such around here. Hopefully soon I'll get brave and make Makiah a skirt and then we'll go from there! Gotta keep it simple until I get fully back into the swing of sewing.

I have so many projects floating around in my head that I want to do!! Now if I could just find the time!!!

Heart Tip~~One of the funniest questions I think doctors ask is, "Do you have any stress in your life?" I so desparately want to turn around and ask if they do, but I don't. Usually. Anyway, stress is a huge contributor to a lot of health issues including heart disease and unfortunately we don't always deal with our stress properly or at all. We all need to find ways to de-stress. If its exercise or crocheting or scrapebooking or reading or playing a board game with your kids, whatever helps you de-stress after a long day, do it. Keeping stress bottled up isn't helping anyone or anything and it's silently hurting your body. Give your heart a break and let it go, everyday.

Have a healthy Wednesday!!

Tomatoes and Crocheted Dish Rags

I thought I'd post some pics of our tomatoes and my new project. We have two yellow tomato plants and one red.


I am so proud of us, we haven't killed them. We do have some leaves turning brown, but we neglected them a little during the move, but we are back on our watering track and we have several that are ready to be harvested. I am not a tomato fan, but my kiddos love, and I mean LOVE tomatoes.

As for my new project; I am in the process of crocheting a plethora of dish rags and cleaning rags. I am also endeavoring to make some flannel wipes (some for Daniel's fanny and some for cleaning), but I am doing all the stitching by hand. Check back with me on those in a couple of months--just kidding. I don't have a sewing machine at this present time, so I am being adventurous and putting all those skills my nanny taught me to use.



Crocheted cleaning rag (a little big for a dish rag) and a pot scrubber that fits over the top of your fingers.



I am excited at these projects, now it's just a matter of finding the time to complete them. The crocheted rag and pot scrubber didn't take long at all and it's been awhile since I crocheted. Once I got back into the swing of things, I stitched right along.

So that's my current creative projects. I know how anxious you all were to know this info and now you know. :)