My favorite scissors

“If I stitch fast enough, does it count as aerobic exercise?” —Anonymous

Sunday Favorites

The Afghan Project Update . . . and Photoshopping for a change of pace . . .

Yep.  Still at it.  The afghan is currently close to reaching my ankles.  I'd say I'm about 40% of the way done.  I still find myself unraveling some of the work now and then, and I've come to the conclusion that this stitch is just a pain in the neck. 

Pretty . . . but a pain in the neck . . .

This project has brought a lot of memories of my godmother, Mama Lala, knitting late into the night.  She's the one who taught me how to knit and crochet.  The sweater below was one of the last things she made for me, while I was still in Cuba . . .

I didn't realize when I started to look for this photo, how badly damaged it was, so I spent some time restoring it with Photoshop . . .  Here's the original . . .

I'm so happy to have discovered Photoshop!!!  So, now, what should I do?  . . . Do I crochet . . . do I Photoshop . . . ?  Do I catch up with my fellow bloggers . . . ?  Too many hobbies . . .

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday. Please stop by and check out some fabulous transformations.

Just call me Penelope . . .

As I was unraveling my crocheting project for, oh, I dunno . . . the fifth or sixth time, my son remarked that I reminded him of Penelope, Odysseus' wife.  Yes, I have a son that uses Homer as material for his smart aleck cracks.  Penelope was known for her faithfulness while she waited for her husband to return from fighting that pesky Trojan War.  For three years, she weaved a shroud for the eventual funeral of her father-in-law, Laertes, and claimed that she would choose a new husband as soon as the shroud was completed. By day, the queen weaved her shroud and at night, she unraveled what she had done, until eventually she got caught. 

There's one obvious conclusion to be drawn from this:  Penelope was not a blogger.  Fellow bloggers would not have let her get away with it for so long without wanting to see the progress . . . so, just to make sure no suitors for my hand get angry with me, here's what I've done so far . . .

But suitors beware: My husband and I just celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary last week. Our marriage shroud is still being crocheted. Every stitch has been a labor of love, and there's no end in sight for this project . . . you'd better find yourself another Penelope . . .

Meanwhile, it's that time of year again.  Boxes in my Living Room can only mean one thing:  My son is going back to college soon.  There goes that little catch in my breath . . .

Crochet . . . organize . . . unravel . . . repeat . . .

I won't show the crocheting project today . . . it's too depressing . . . I've started over twice, unraveled rows several times . . . my neck hurts . . . I have a cramp in my left hand . . .  I had to do something else . . .  Let's see . . . 

Oh, yes, I'll restack the plastic bags in the cabinet . . .  It's one of those pesky jobs that needs to be done . . . like NEVER!

And by the way, those yellow cardstock sheets taped to the bottom of the cabinet were put there by my son who's into feng shui . . .  I have no idea what it means, but I'll have to ask him about balancing my chi to see if the crocheting improves . . .

Revisiting an old hobby . . .

I fell in love with this afghan from Pottery Barn.  Doesn't it just scream cozy?  It made me think of cuddling up on a chilly afternoon with a fire burning in the fireplace and a cup of hot cocoa steaming by my side . . .  Then I looked at the price tag:  $79!  “Are they kidding me?” I thought.  “I could do this myself for a fraction of the cost!”

And so it began.  With delusions of grandeur running amok, I've spent $66.25 in yarn and pattern books.  Then, because I didn't know how to crochet a cable stitch and had actually never really learned how to read patterns, I decided to take a class at our local Joann's - for an additional $35 (I tried YouTube, but in this instance, it wasn't helping).

Let me tell you, it's been a while since I have been challenged like this.  I have been so frustrated with this stitch!  I can't begin to count how many times I wanted to give up!  I cursed Pottery Barn and the day I saw that throw!  But there's always an epiphany:  I had been practicing the pattern on the yarn that they gave me when I took the class - a chartreuse green color - and I just wasn't “feeling it” - I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, or visualizing the end product. 

I decided to get a skein of white yarn and try again.  It began to get easier.  For one thing, I felt calmer - I only thought to give up once every 10 minutes or so . . .  And finally . . . Voilà!  Yes!!!  Victory is mine!!!  I feel like a football player doing a silly touchdown dance!  Check out this perfectly executed cable turn!

Now let's get this party started!  I've chosen a 100% cotton yarn that feels wonderful on my skin.  It's not very stretchy, but, oh, it's a dream to work with . . . and did I mention how great it feels?

Even looking at the pile of skeins makes me happy!  And do you notice the label?  What could be more delicious than working with sugar and cream? 

There will probably be some shrinkage . . . and I've added to the length and width of the original pattern so another trip to the store for more yarn is in the works . . . who knows how much this afghan will truly cost me in the end.  But how do you price satisfaction . . . ?

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Passionately Artistic