Currently.

Thinking about: How my Monday is going to go. I have many new changes happening at work this coming week, including a transfer of teams and a new boss. I'm a little bit nervous, a little stressed but mostly anticipating change and going into all this with an open mind. 

Watching: Guilty pleasure - Grey's Anatomy season 8 on Netflix. I remember years ago, a woman I worked with raved on and on about this show. McDreamy and Mcthis and Mcthat, she would gush on and on about the show. But I never watched it. Quite a few months ago I started watching it and it became my guilty pleasure to watch while I crochet all my blankets. I've now made it to season 8. Which means I only have about 20 more episodes..then will have to find a new guilty pleasure.

Reading: The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger. I picked this up the other day at the library, I'm only a few chapters in but I'm really liking it.

Listening: Ella chewing on a bone almost the same size as her while listening for the beep on my toaster oven to let me know my giant cookie is hopefully cooking. The element in my oven died as I was pre-heating it to bake a skillet cookie. I have to wait until our local repair shop opens in the morning in hopes they have one in stock. If not I'll have to place an order for one and be without an oven until one comes in. Thank goodness (and hopefully) this is all that is wrong with it. 

Making: A skillet cookie in a toaster oven! Oi! Hopefully it comes out okay seeing that I already had one major baking failure this weekend. 

Anticipating: Change, good or bad. Change is inevitable. It's how we handle that change that defines us.

Planning: A possible blog rehaul and face lift. While I love the current look part of me is craving change. A more minimalism, fresh, streamlined look. We'll see. I'm just thinking and planning in my head. I have a gazillion other more important things going on at the moment.. but it's something that may happen..or may not. 

Loving: The thought of spring. I know it's still a few months away. But I can't stop thinking about getting our gardens ready..being able to go into my front yard to pick veggies and eat them that night for dinner. Having our outdoor farmers market open again, and this time being a vendor!! I'm excited and can't wait.

Making me happy: My three girls keeping me company this past weekend while the mister went off to Boston. (and stayed an extra day) We had a relaxing, quiet weekend and even a popcorn movie night. Their favorite (and mine)

I also can now finally share with you the blankets I made for Christmas presents. The blue one was for Kevin's parents and the grey one was for his brother and his brother's wife. I didn't really get good pictures because I had forgotten to take any and then the mister was getting ready to leave on friday to go and I grabbed them and took some quick shots.

His parent's blanket was enormous. It turned out being larger than a King sized blanket! It was so huge, but so amazing. I loved how it turned out.

 

Jason and Jenn's blanket, I wised up and scaled it down a bit. While it was still large (probably Queen sized) it is definitely more manageable! I wrote out the same basic pattern and color rotation of each and am actually in the process of making a blanket for my mom which will be the size of the smaller one. So crazy how different they can look based on the colors used. 

Happy Monday all.

hazy days

It's been a very nice "lazy" weekend so far. Mister left for Massachusetts directly after work last night and my parents called to take me our to dinner so that I wouldn't be home alone. I haven't been out to dinner with them in quite a long time so it was really nice to just sit and chat for a couple hours.

This morning they were kind enough to drive me out to the farmer's market (it's about 20+ minutes away). We had a really good time. I also discovered where I get my indecisiveness from! My mother! They had never been so they were looking at every vendor's goods, which was a lot of fun because normally we just go to certain vendors, get what we need and leave. My mom loved all the potters and then got stuck at a booth for handmade soaps and candles. She went back and forth for well over 30 minutes deciding what to buy. My dad had left and walked around and came back numerous times to find us in the same spot with my mom still scratching her head. She wound up buying a "thing". Okay, I really have no idea what they are called, but they are like heating pads. This one was filled with organic rice and different essential oils. It was divided into three cavities filed with the rice so that if you wrapped it around your neck after heating it up - all the rice wouldn't all slide down to one side. Then there was an outer cover fabric "case"  that was washable. It was actually really nice and made my mom extremely happy. She told the woman that she had one before "but threw it out recently because it smelt like burnt popcorn" haha She also picked up some soap and a wooden block soap dish for one of her friends she is seeing tomorrow for a picnic.

When we were leaving I was explaining to her that I am going to crochet wash clothes and also "soap cozies" when I get my shop open. The "soap cozy" is going to be a little crochet case of sorts that you put your soap inside of and then when you are washing the soap comes through the cozy. 

When they dropped me off at home, I decided to try out making one of my cozies. I called up my mom and asked her for the dimensions of the soap she just bought and then I began crocheting. I only had one little skein of cotton yarn that was multi colored. When I make them for the shop they will be made from organic, natural cotton in a neutral color without any dyes. I have found a few places that sell the yarn - it looks like it comes in three different varying shades of natural, sage and brown

I'm leaning toward the natural/oatmeal type color. I'm just worried if that one may get too dingy looking after too much use. Thoughts? Maybe I'll go with the sage...

So anyway - I made up my cozy, called my mom to tell her and then she asked if I could also make up a wash cloth. So I hung up, made up a wash cloth and called her back. Her response, "You are done already?!" 

I think they came out cute, especially for a "prototype" I don't have a soap bar the same size as the one she just bought, so I put one in that was the closest to take pictures. The bar I have is about 1/4" - 1/2" longer than the one she has and the one this was actually made for..

The cozy is sewed up on the bottom, so it's more of a little pouch. 

I think it came out pretty good and is going to make a nice little gift to give to her friend tomorrow. Alright time to start playing with logos and packaging ideas. Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. It is simply gorgeous here in New York. 

Here was my view while sitting outside crocheting:

Apparently the girls think the sofa is theirs. (yes I have a cushion for that other chair in the background, but I only brought out a few for us to sit on as I don't leave them outside unless we are out there)

Have a great rest of your weekend!!

new colorway..

I've been busy over here, between trying to clean up my gardens (posts will be coming on Wednesdays for the updates and progress of my gardens and beautiful garden inspirations..so check back!) to crocheting up a storm. I am still working on this blanket but sadly it only has two more rows than it did a few weeks ago! That's because I'm working on three new blankets.

The first one is a gorgeous blanket I just finished for Chantilly. She told me one that she liked and I sort of took it upon myself to switch it up a bit (hope she doesn't mind!) I began working on it and then went back and forth if I was going to go with silver grey or with tan (like in the other blanket I have in my shop, here ) I went with silver and then after thought it was a big mistake. I set it aside for a few days (gotta love carpal tunnel) and when I came back to it and continued on with the pattern I was creating, I fell in love. I actually think it is my favorite one so far.

Now that it's complete. I think I definitely did the right thing of leaving the silver instead of taking it all out and putting in the tan. I also love the edging. I think that adding a solid edging really adds to the blanket. In a few of the blankets I have made I only did one row of sc to bind it off. This one there are 4 rows. I don't know. I think it just really adds to the blanket. 

If you crochet, how do you usually finish them off? I'm not a fan of fancy and frilly edgings. I tend to be more minimalist when it comes to pretty much everything design wise. But I have to say, four rows of sc I think will be my new "signature".

I now have two more blankets I need to work on. One needs to be completed by mid May (I think!) and that is for a friend that has commissioned me to make a blanket. That one is the one I was talking about here. I am really excited to start work on it and have it planned out and was actually going to start on it tonight. But then I realized I need to make one for someone I work with, and that one needs to be done before the one I'm getting $$ for. His wife is due in a couple weeks and had I been thinking I would have had it done by now. But April just seemed to sneak up on me. I thought I had more time! I don't really have mush to go off of for his. I was told today the nursery is browns, greens and pinks with birds and trees. So well - this is pretty wide open seeing their are a trillion shades of each of those colors. I'll just have to pick something and hope that they like it. I'm thinking keeping it more in the neutral family with a couple rows of pink - maybe a row of mint. We'll see.

Hope everyone is having a great week. I need to get out in the gardens for a little bit, then start crocheting. I'm so excited to share with you all my garden progress!

a mini shop update

more baby blankets posted!

okay I have been crocheting up a storm on these baby blankets- so it's time to take a mini break and tonight I will be starting a throw blanket for us adult sized humans. 

i am really excited with how they came out. I'm a tad disappointed with the red, yellow and black one though. I had every intention of adding blue to it and had the perfect blue for it- but I didn't plan it out well. So I ran out of rows. I guess I probably should have just then decided to turn it into a larger granny - maybe if it doesn't sell I will take out the last finishing row and add to it. we'll see..

But this one..this one is my favorite so far...

Both are now listed in my Etsy shop, if you are interested.

VERANELLIES

Also stay posted with your chance to possibly win one of these blankets or a custom creation. More details to follow on Monday.

hello. my name is Trisha and I can never make a decision

Yes. I have been updating my blog again. I have a problem. I get it almost to the way I think I may want it to look. Then. Yes. I change it. I start second guessing myself and the choices I have made into designing it. Or I start looking at other blogs and seeing little things I like about the design and then I want to change the design of mine all over again. This is a problem. Having a blog should not be about what it looks like. The outward appearance should not have you waking up in the middle of the night thinking of coding and how to manipulate something. I will work on this. Maybe there is a 12 step program I can enroll in.

I've always known my decision making skills were a problem. I just want to make everyone else happy. So if someone asks me what I would like for dinner. IF I answer them, I immediately ask them and if they give the slightest indication they want something else I will change my answer and go with what the other person wants.

Today, case in point. I went to go get a couple skeins of yarn. I wanted a mint color and a pink color because the pink I bought the other day, well it was just TOO pink. Even when I walked around the store with it, putting it back on the shelf roughly 10 times, then picking it back up again, I knew it wasn't right. But finally I just bought it after 20 minutes of terrorizing myself with trying to make the decision and figured it was easier to buy it then to keep going back and forth. Plus I'm sure mister was beginning to wonder where I was! So back to today. I grabbed the other pink I was going to get on my last venture there. So I grabbed the mint and the pink. But then! I saw there was ANOTHER shade of mint. Slightly different. Slightly darker. I'm talking a SMIDGE. I stood staring at them with the sheer look of horror. The conversation that followed went something like this:
K immediately said "OH GOD! Here we go."
Me: "oh goodness!! They are SO much a like! Oh man, oh man!
K shaking his head - "Pick one!"
So I just grabbed one - but then how do the yarn gods do this to me, I noticed the pink- there were two shades, again almost identical but ever so slightly different.
I stood again powerless and with my mouth half open. One skein in each hand, looking from one to the other. So..I decided on the one little bit darker pink because it reminds me of raspberry sorbet. (my favorite) So then..the conversation went something like this..

K: Well if you are going to pick that one, you should pick the darker mint as well.
Me: Yeah, definitely. Give it here.
K: (shaking his head) That's just my opinion. You don't have to take it.
Me: No, I better take it. I like these (as I stood hugging the new skeins) - Yay! It reminds me of raspberry sorbet. Yumm raspberry sorbet........
K: (muttering) I'll give you a raspberry sorbet...I bet these security cameras have you picking up and putting down all these yarns and the people watching them must think you are a crazy person.
Me: Yeah- hours and hours of footage of me holding up different yarns, walking around the store, going back and putting them away, then 5 minutes later picking up the same yarns and holding them next to one another again...

hahaha. I think this story is my 1, 2 and 3 for 3tf. Welcome to a snippet of my daily life. Oh what would I do without mister?!

Okay, off to go crochet and watch x-files. I'm currently working on a baby blanket for my shop.. Here's a sneak peek:

It's one large granny square, after the golden color is a dark heather grey, then I started and added that center tanish color for the last bit. (of course) I am second guessing myself about that color being in the blanket! K told me last night. "It looks good. LEAVE it alone!" So I'm leaving it. It's not for my baby! I'm thinking 32" x32" should be a good size for a baby blanket for their crib or stroller? I don't have any miniature humans, nor do I want them. So I'm a bit lost on what size would be convenient. Any suggestions?I'm excited to get started on the next one tho (that's what the pink and mint colors are for).

have a good night! Yay for it being Thursday tomorrow. 

The Andrea Cowl

Yay! the "Andrea Cowl" is finished and she loved it - when I gave it to her she gave me and hug and then hugged the cowl over and over saying how happy she was. It always makes me so happy when someone appreciates something I make for them. There is nothing worse then spending hours working on a project and being so excited for the recipient only to have them do the "Oh thanks - set aside" move. It's heartbreaking for us crafters. I think proper etiquette should be to show appreciation and say a heartfelt thank you to someone that just took their time to produce a magically handmade from the heart gift. If you hate it or it's not something that is your style -then do the "set aside" after- never in front of the crafter! Just sayin'

With that being said . . here it is. A pretty simple pattern but I really like it a lot.

The middle picture cracks me up because little Ella is in the blurred background. I didn't get a lot of great photos. I took these all super quick right before leaving to go to work just as the sun was coming out. Also we were having a blizzard and this was a very brief second were it was only lightly snowing, though strangely you can't see the snow flakes in the pictures. Not to get off topic- but man my boobs look huge in these pictures! haha 

I have always hated myself in pictures. I tend to shy away -hide behind my hands or spin my head at just the right moment so no one sees my face. Not to turn this post into a depressed post, but I was always a super tiny girl. When I graduated high school I weighed a whopping 92 pounds (and I'm 5'4) But obviously I have grown up and my weight seemed to like being in the 115-118 range. The all of the sudden about 2 years ago or so, I slowly started gaining more weight and couldn't figure out why. I eat like a bird and hadn't changed anything in my lifestyle. Then I started getting headaches. Insane headaches that lasted sometimes for weeks without going away. With the headaches I also was extremely dizzy and off balance. I finally went to the doctor after about 7-8 months of daily headaches. I was poked and prodded and they could never give me an answer about the headaches but they did find out I have thyroid disease. They said this is why I gained about 10-15 pounds and was unable to loose the weight. It's been about 9 months on my medications, which I now have to take daily for the rest of my life (something I'm not found of - who knows what they are going to say this drug does to you after taking it for 20 years!) I now also just got a letter in the mail from my doctor after my last blood draw saying I have extreme (which they underlined like 3 times on the paperwork) vitamin d deficiency. So I'm on a crazy horse pill "trial" for the next 12 weeks  and then have to give blood again in the end of March. So crazy. I hit my mid- thirties (I can not believe I am "mid- thirties" how did that one happen?!) and I fell apart - well my knees have been falling apart for years but thats a post for another day. I don't want to sound like an old granny <insert crackly granny voice here> and complain and compare health ailments...but I was just saying it - I don't know why I was just saying it! I guess because I'm not comfortable with my weight and I feel like I look like an oompa loompa (sp? -but you all know what I'm talking about - were oompa loompas even fat? why do i say that reference?!) 

okay, i'll end this post here before you all realize how crazy my brain flips from one subject to the next..

off to write up a pattern for some crochet blankets I'm going to be selling in my shop.

Shop WILL be open this weekend. I'm shooting for Sunday. Saturday will be photo shoot day. I'm so excited to share all the amazing things I have gotten. I wish I could keep everything for myself. I told K that I am just going to display the majority of it in the kitchen until it sells, that way I feel like I was able to have the treasures for a bit in my life too.

almost mid-week - so excited rest of the week I don't have to drive into the office - the girls will be so excited to have me home for them to harass.

happy tuesday!

xo- t

a completed cowl..

katrina's cowl - complete. 

it was a pretty interesting pattern that i got off ravelry. i don't know if i would make it again or not but it was an interesting project. the knit ends up looking like a basketweave. it just seemed to take me forever because it was over 200 stitches per row and something like 37 rows? i'm a slow crocheter, i'm just starting and learning - so it definitely wasn't a fast knit. but the stitches were easy, nothing complicated.

i used vanna's choice in barley, it has flecks of black and cream within it. so we'll see how my sister likes it.

birthday dinner is tonight and my parents house.

alright- i have a crazy day ahead. i have to complete another cowl that i promised my friend i would give her tomorrow at work! i should be able to get it done!