New Crocheting Books

WOW! I got several new crocheting books and pamphlets this past Saturday.

The first is Candy Crochet by Candi Jensen. It has the most adorable outfits, booties, blankets, hats, etc. in it. My grandbabies are going to be wearing a lot of these.

The next one is 100 Crochet Projects by Jean Leinhauser & Rita Weiss. It again has lots of really great designs but for adults. Tops, sweaters, afghans, doilies, even earrings and prom purses!

Look out birthdays--I'm going to be ready!

Purchased a wonderful crochet reference book in 200 Crochet Tips, Techniques & Trade Secrets by Jan Eaton. I'll never run into a problem or a pattern I can not decipher again.

The two pamphlets are Sunny Day Dresses for Babies and Toddlers by Diane Simpson. It only has three dress patterns in it but they are all simple, elegant and beautiful.

And lastly, The Bernat Tiny crochet Baby #542023.The dress is beautiful but I bought this for the bonnets and booties. The blanket is very pretty but it's baby colored grannies. Everyone knows that one.

Looks like this here blog is going to be filled with more and more posts of crocheted items I have made for my grands!

What to blog about?

I have thought about what to blog about for a time now. This blog is sort of generic. Its not about one aspect of me or my life, but its about ME!

Over the years I have discovered, and at first these discoveries were hard ones, that many people do not agree with me and what I have to say or think.

These discoveries are not as hard now. It does not hurt my feelings when it comes out that people think I am "weird", "crazy" or whatever word they wish to label me with. For those people I have but one thing to say, "GET A JOB LABELING JARS, NOT PEOPLE!"

Being myself is not meant to offend anyone. Its just me being me. Its one of those unalienable rights that we are born with and no one can take from us, nor can we give it away. Its not just an unalienable right--it is a duty for each of us to be ourselves and not even try to be someone else.

So, if you are easily offended, it may just be time to stop reading my blog.

Another Crocheted Bookmark!!!

I did this one last week at work. Its fans and V's. I really like it but the pattern was hard to follow. Too many words. I may re-write it for my own personal use so that it's easier to follow.

I plan to do several more in other colors with tassels and some with beads.

The pattern can be found here. I did not do the edging she has, just sc around.

Leather Bag or Pouch

This is a bag I made a for a dear friend. He uses it for his Runes.

Baby Outfit & Bookmark

I finished the outfit for my grandson Isaiah. He's 6 months old. I'll see him Friday & Saturday of this week and hopefully get pictures of him in it.

And here is my first ever filet crochet. It's a bookmark. Probably will thread a ribbon through the center and give to my Mom for her 71st birthday next month. She is still very active. She works two jobs, travels and reads a lot!

Pet Peeves

We all have them, pet peeves, little things or even really big things that just get us right where the voice inside us is saying, "Here's Your Sign!"

• Pull Skeins of yarn that do NOT pull.
• Prejudice.
• Innocent people being accused of things they did not do.
• Guilty people not being prosecuted.
• Cruelty to animals.
• Cruelty to children.
• Cruelty to the helpless.
• People who preach their religion as the ONLY true path.
• Christians who lie, steal, cheat and gossip.
• People that think they can trample the rights of others and then scream when theirs are trampled upon.
• Judgemental people.
• Refusal to learn.
• People that have children and don't really want them.
• Grandparents who aren't.
• The state of health care in America.
• The blatant disregard of the Constitution of America.
• Computer programs that don't live up to their claims.
• Any products that don't live up to their claims.
• Infomercials.
• History as it is taught in public schools and the majority of all schools.
• The inability of public school teachers to teach because they have to "teach to the test".

Native Americans and Tribal Cards

First of all let me say this, no one living in this time period can ever, nor should they be expected to "make up for the wrongs of their ancestors".

Not all people of any one race are bad nor all people of any one race good. There is a goodly mixture of both.

I am appalled that the current government nor recent past ones have even begun to fully honor the treaties with the descendants of the indigenous/aboriginal/native peoples of this land.

Now on to my subject matter.

I am very proud to carry a tribal membership card. It is the proof I need to prove who I am. Who my ancestors were and are.

Who needs this proof?

Me? No. I need no card to prove to myself who I am or what DNA runs through my body and soul.

It is to prove it to all the doubting Thomas' out there.

Now, I will not state my position on this, but ask yourself this question: What race of people, in America, is required to PROVE their race other than the Native/indigenous/aboriginal people?

Your list will be very short indeed.

Wandering

My soul wanders in the night.
It wanders in the day.
It wanders in and out of time & space.
It is not I that am lost.
Could it be that the wanderings are a learning?
Could it be that the world--the universe is wandering also?

Finished a Baby Blanket

Finished a baby blanket!

This is 100% wool purchased from Yarn Treehouse on eBay. The color is CK21.

It's the first time I have worked with 100% wool. I wish I had bought more of this as it would make a beautiful sweater!

It took four skeins and just a touch of a fifth.

The pattern I used can be found at Lacy Small Afghan Pattern. I recommend only doing 131 for the beginning chain. About.com recommends in many patterns to just do a chain, then cut off the extra after doing the first few rows. I think that would make it more likely to unravel. (I have noticed this in several books now also.)

For the edging I just did a 3dc shell around, doing a shell in each corner.

Earrings I Made

I have dabbled in making jewelry. I happen to have pictures of some pieces.

The crocheted pieces came about due a dear friend/sister. She ordered me some crochet "cotton" on eBay, thinking it was worsted weight and I could re-coup from a recent illness by crocheting washcloths.

Well, it was thread, mostly #10.

The beaded pair are the results of combining beading and Dream Catchers.

The pair here was made for my second daughter. They are also the pair I submitted, by detailed photo, to the Arts & crafts Council of my Tribe to become a certified Native American Artisan. (I also submitted my profile picture as that Regalia was made by me and a leather bag I made. They'll be posted if I ever discover which CD they are stored on.)

Granddaughter's Easter Outfit ON HER

We got it on her!!!!

She was a bit feisty about it--see her Daddy works on the road and he had just gotten home that day and she is most undeniably a Daddy's Girl!!!

But I promised pictures when she got it on so here is the one we were able to get.

Isn't she just adorable??????

Things I Like To Do

1. Learn about my heritage of being Waccamaw. You can learn more about the Waccamaw Indian Peoples of South Carolina by clicking here.
2. Typing in the Courier Font.
3. Working my part-time job of Night Auditor at a motel.
4. Spending time with my grandchildren.
5. Telling the stories of my children's births and childhoods.
6. Living naturally.
7. Planning to set up the tipi a friend made for me.
8. Learning how to be spiritual as opposed to being religious.
9. Listening to music--all genres--Big Band, Old Time Rock, Celtic, Native American, Country (new & old), and pretty much all the rest of it!
10. Working with all those that have joined my Talking Circle at Native Pathways.
11. Crocheting
12. Knitting
13. Sewing
14. Gardening
15. Cooking
16. Ironing
17. Hanging the laundry on an outside line to dry.
18. Reading
19. Collecting
20. Origami
21. Going dancing--or dancing in the living room, yard or wherever I happen to be when the mood hits!
22. Spending time on Care2.
23. Reading random articles at Wikipedia.
24. Helping people.
25. Beading
26. Making Leather bags
27. Being in nature
28. Being with my loved ones.
29. Finding bargains.

Handmade Easter Outfit

I was waiting on a friend to have surgery and of course, although it was a simple surgery, it was an all day thing.

I had obtained a pattern called "Sweetie Dress"(click the title to be taken to the pattern), intending to make it for my 3 year old granddaughter.

The pattern printed on four pages. After crocheting for a while, putting it down umpteen times to talk with doctors, nurses, etc. and picking it back up, I thought I was on the last page and finished the dress off.

Uh-oh!!! I was only about half way through.

Time for the thinking cap!

It became a top. I decided to get some denim and make her skirt to wear with it.

So I proceeded to Wal-Mart to get the required denim. While I was browsing through the yarn (after having obtained the denim) I noticed this plain, pink cowgirl hat discarded in the yarn bins.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Kimberlee loves hats. So in the buggy it went.

Then I had to get something to dress it up, so through all the spools of yarn rick-rack, and everything else to decide what to trim it with. Purple and white.

This entire thing is totally handmade. I have sewing machines, but nowhere to set one up. (We have two Alzheimer's patients in the house and that is another story.)

So here is the resulting outfit. I am going out to visit next week and will take pictures of it on her.