Ok, spam is really offensive! I know people like to work at home and use their PC to earn money but sending email about non important information like home mortages is just down right rude! I mean, I don't want your stinking information on my blog sight or in my email. I am not interested in garbage. That is why I put my garbage out to the side of the street every monday to be taken away. Anyway, so nothing really exciting has been happening to me so far....work is work and I finished crocheting the purse for the Crochetville Purse swap. I just haven't sent it out yet because this coming Saturday is a scrapbooking crop that a friend of mine is having and I am sorta helping out with that and I am working on a book for mom for her first child that passed away when she was 2 years old. Then payday is on the 28th and maybe then I will be able to send off Kathy's purse. I do so hope she likes it. I feel kinda silly to see people showing off my work at Crochetville when I send it to them. Compared to other FPs that I see on there, I feel so inferior. Oh well, at least I am trying and I have my psuedo-health. HA HA. This week school is out from Thursday to Monday and my daughter's class has a bunny. The teacher is going out to Billings for the comfrence and there is no heat in the school in the weekends. At the parent confrence, I was volunteered to take the bunny home until tuesday when my little girl goes back. Lucky us. I brought the thing home and was sick to my stomach because my dad is not a happy camper when you bring another animal into the house when you have 4 cats and 3 fish residing in your home. Well, the bunny (I call it Bunn Bunn) made herself at home and played with Kaleigh and Abby. Technically, Kaleigh watched it from the distance as did Abby but it was adorable to see this little bunny hopping around the living room "chasing" Abby. Sarah had a ball! This morning, I let the bunny out and Sarah went around with a kleenex saying "It pooped It pooped!" I had to laugh but I was adamant that she didn't do the cleaning up. I did that but it was funny to have her giving commentary about the bunny business. I introduced Bootsie to the bunny today. I have never seen her to attentive to anything before! She just stared and stared. Of course in the end, all the cats seem to accept the bunny. Even dad was thrilled. But this is not going to be a permanent thing at our house. I have to keep bunn bunn away from my yarn stash......

You know, being alone with my daughter seemed so tough at the beginning. Now, I think we are working a decent stride. Living with my parents is a bummer though but at least I have a roof over my head and a family that is interested in my well being. I started working with the home health agency I worked with before I got married in 2000. Every time I came to live in Montana, I would always go back to Spectrum and work until I had to go back up to Canada. Well, no more bouncing back and forth. I am working minimal hours but hopefully on monday I can get back up to parr. See, last week I broke my big toe and since I have to walk around alot, the pain is excuiating! But now, its bearable and I am training myself to think positively and keep going not to fall back and complain and quit like I used too. I finished the scarf for the winter scarf swap and just today I sent off the baby afghan that I promised someone to make when she was bitten by a spider and her shoulder had to be immobilized. My cat, Kaleigh, thinks that all things crocheted belong to her and she has to give her approval of the item. She likes to "sing" at night and she drags out crocheted items to me when I am in the living room. Well, needless to say, she brought out this afghan that I made and the little ends of yarn came out after I tucked them in. I love Kaleigh! So with the same yarn that I crocheted the blanket I made a toy mouse for her. I even put stuffing with cat nip in it just for her. The result? She won't touch it because Abby and my mom's cat, Asher have taken it over. Asher is part persian and part tom. He has the persian body and tom face and paws. He is such a big baby and expects everyone to baby him. I cannot stand him. Truth be told, he used to be my cat but since I went away to Job Corp when I was 21, he adopted my mom. He irks me royally because he complains when he doesn't get the attention he "THINKS" he deserves. It drives my mother's blood pressure through the roof because he is the most narssistic cat and demands sole attention. He complains a lot so I call him "Sir Asher Whines Alot". Mom thinks that this name suits him but he whines about it. Now, Asher has a bladder stone and he pees on my parents bed, on the walls in the cat room and licks himself incessently!!!! My dad complains about the bed and the washing but he has a retreat: WORK. He isn't at home when Asher complains about not being able to pee and complains to mom that he is not getting the exact amount of attention that he demands. My mom's other cat, her siamese Bootsie, has thyroid problems and has to take medicine for the rest of her life for this. Well, when it is time for Bootsie's med's, like a typical cat, she runs and hides. But her medicine is liquid and poultry flavored. Asher has a hissy fit because HE thinks he should have everything that everyone else has. Asher wasn't our first cat when we adopted him from the pound, you see. But he feels he should have PRIORITY in everything in the house. He and Bootsie are boyfriend and girlfriend (even though they are fixed). Bootsie likes to cuddle with him at nap times and when he wants her there, he is docile and quiet but when he is in his mood (doesn't matter if he is hurting or not) he doesn't want to be bothered. My dad doesn't see the many sides of Asher. My mother has tolerated Asher's antics for a long time and now, she is tired of Asher always demanding to be held, his whining at everyone.....Sarah would be walking to the bathroom and he whines at her. This is not communication, people! I have been around cats for a long time and I have been called at times the Cat Whisperer because I do communicate with the feline species. Asher just doesn't like people being around when he wants ALL the attention for himself. He is in a very selfish mode in his life. Well, Asher has been selfish since we brought him home. Anyway, to make a long story short, my mother wants to put Asher down because not only does he have a blocked bladder stone, but he has bad teeth and they need to be pulled. Mom and Dad do not have that kind of money! Dad doesn't want Asher put down. Dad doesn't understand that he is suffering but it doesn't matter. Bootsie is only 8 years old and has an absessed tooth that needs to be pulled too and this thyroid problem. Mom wants to end Bootsie's misery but Dad is like, "keep giving her the medicine, she will be ok". My dad doesn't understand how Bootsie feels. She hisses at Kaleigh and Abby a lot and those two don't do anything. Asher is in a lot of pain but he thinks that his Mommy will get the stone out. Surgery is too expensive, Asher will not take his pill, he pukes it up....we tried a variety of ways to get that pill in him but he is allergic to them. The Vet and my father really are prolonging death. One way or another they will be taken care off. I don't know. Maybe my dad thinks I am too verbal in my knowledge as to what is going on inside the cat's mind. But then again, my dad grew up on a farm and cats were not pets then. Ok, enough about the cats. I have to search for a medium purse pattern that has short handles for the purse/tote swap I am in. That starts today and I would like to get this started.

Ok, I know I have been slacking off in the crochet department. Well, that isn't really true. I have been working on the scarf for Amanda on Crochetville for the winter scarf swap. Maybe I have bitten off more than I could chew. I took my name off two swaps BUT I was silly enough to join the purse/tote swap. Am I really crazy? Sarah is starting school tomorrow, my husband seems to be doing better but I am still unemployed. I did sign on at a temp agency but who knows where that will lead. I just wish I could just pack things up and move to a place that I know I will have a good paying job, a nice home that the rent is do-able. Things are just not working out as I had hoped they would. Crazy, but I feel like I am slipping away further down into the black hole of depression. Lucky me.

Tonight I am going to be going to a parents orientation for the Co-op school that I am putting my little girl in on the 10th of this month. I need for her to start interacting with children her age. The program is exactly what I want for her. The class room size is only 16 and some idea's are montisorri based and kindergarten like. I like the instructor and how she has set up everything Sarah really liked what she saw, I think. This is going to be about 2 days a week and I think that will help break up her days. I hope she does well in school. I hated math and I hope she can cope with it. Reading, writing and crafts are my thing in life. Oh, one day we were watching PBS and Bob Ross was painting(of course it was a rerun) and I mentioned to Sarah that she could paint like that if she put her mind to it. She got all excited and now she wants to paint like "Rob Boss" What a sweetie!

Dear Gentle Reader,

Today I have been really tired. I have a dishcloth in the works and silly me, I started up another one. I had a horrible migraine headache and so I limited my time online. I am definitely drawn to Crochetville and Yahoo messenger for some reason or another. This afternoon, when my headache was unbearable, I laid down on my couch around 1:30 pm and didn't wake up until 6:15 pm!!!! What a waste of a day! I could have been crocheting! Haha. Tomorrow afternoon, I will be moving back down to Montana from Canada. I am a bit nervous about this move but I got to make it work. Have to save my money and get on my feet. I don't know how to budget because I have a terrible habit of spending money right away on yarn, thread, patterns...etc;. I know I know! I have an addiction! But I am not complaining. My family is! LOL I am taking a U-Haul Large box with me that has all of my crochet, crafting items with me. I would be insane to leave that all up here when I need it with me. I am working a baby afghan for a friend on Crochetville, that is coming around nicely...just have to pick it up again. My squares for the swap are completed. I have 2 dishcloths done and working on another one. I volunteered to do 10...5 crocheted by me and 5 crocheted by my husband. Well, that is all for now...I will keep you posted!

Well, everyone! I just hit 500!!! 500 posts on Crochetville, that is! And today my husband is being discharged!! It is a wonderful wednesday so far. I wanted to post some pictures of my cat, Kaleigh but I have been having some difficulty doing so....alas! No pics of my baby. Oh well. I signed up for the dishcloth swap and I made my first one last night. Its a Pineapple Dishcloth and I absolutely love it!! I love anything made with Pineapples. Now I am working one a round dishcloth. Not using any pattern in particular, just making it up as I go. I am also working on a Crochet along....for Thread! I am still working on this Heirloom Table Topper in a Hunter Green to go in my bedroom. The first one I made was in a frosty green colour which actually ties in the bedspread and so its going to have a Hunter green one to accent it. I have burgandy curtains that I made hanging on my windows so its going to be easy on the eyes. I love the colour green. I haven't heard from my secret swap partner, sister mysteriosa...I hope she is ok. I worry about people. Its a natural tendency, I guess. I signed up for the Winter Scarf swap too. These swaps are so addicting...or maybe its just the buttons I'm after...LOL Who knows for sure, right? This weekend I am going to Montana to house sit for my parents but I am going to be staying there. Have to get a job and start saving up my money so I can get into a decent place there, in the states that is....I have been dreaming about moving to Tennessee for some reason. Never been there and I think it would be a nice change from being out West all my life...Well, not counting being born in Viriginia and living in Ontario after marrying my husband. Well, enough rambling. I will close for now.

Well here is one of my creations...its called a floor doily. I used three strands of yarn (2 yellows and one pink). I had the yarn left over from Sarah's "hug" that I crocheted for her. I will get a pic of her holding her hug and post it here. I made this thing in about one week because it works up fast with a Q hook. I have it in my kitchen but the only downside to it is that it likes to slip around. Sarah has a blast with it. She says she is skating. My cats, Kaleigh and Abby love lying on it. They have to give their approval on everything that I crochet. Its a good thing they are not here while I am crocheting my squares for the swap I am in. They are in Montana with Sarah while I am resting up.

I just finished reading a post at Crochetville and I just had to add this pic. Since I really don't know how to post a pic at the forum, I will just link everyone here to see Miss Abby in all her embarrassing glory. I wish I would have taken a pic of her when she was a kitten and the dress did fit her...oh well. What do you think? She really didn't mind getting dressed up for her photo opportunity. Abby wants to be a model when she is old enough...LOL

First of all, I want to send out a warm hug and thank you to all my friends from Crochetville. You really have helped me out in this difficult time. I am feeling alot better and doing much more every day. My dd is in the states with her grandparents and I have had a lot of time to focus on my crocheting. But I am missing her terribly. I have offered to help a fellow member on Crochetville to crochet an afghan for her nephew but I ran out of yarn and I have to wait until I get a check from the government to continue. She was awfully kind to ask if she could help and I really hate to ask people for money. I find it embarrassing to do so. Anyway, I have been dieting and so far I have lost 5 lbs. I want to go slow at first because I don't want to end up being in the hospital. Lord knows, I have too many financial obligations to up hold. I have been making new friends online and I am really looking forward to going to New York to visit one of them. I have been saving up for this trip and it has been in the planning stage long before dh got ill. I feel bad to leave but he ensures me that I do need to take a holiday. And I know my dear parents won't mind looking after their only grandchild. I won't be going there until after I am done housesitting for my parents though. They have to go to Washington State, to my Uncle's to spread my grandmother's ashes. She passed away back in June or July....goodness! I cannot even remember my own grandmother's passing! My age is really catching up to me now! And I am only 31! Mom and Dad have 2 cats and I have my 2 cats down there so I will be taking care of them and my DD before I go on my trip. I am so excited! I will be taking the bus so I will definitely have my crocheting with me! But before I leave, I will have sent off my secret pal's package before then.....I am so excited about all this!

This past weekend, I had a bit of an accident. While visiting my family in the states, I tripped and fell at my Grandmother's house. I was walking into the kitchen and my foot snagged the area rug and down I went, right onto my stomach!!!! Everyone was trying to help me up but I was trying not to cry. This is exactly how I miscarried the last time and I was afraid that I was going to lose another baby. You see, I have a history of being a klutz. My aunt threw out the area rug and kept apologizing to me and everything. My mind was on the baby. I was 8 weeks along before I fell. Later, that night when I was getting ready to lay down in bed, I miscarried. My DH held me after cleaning up because I was a blubbering mess. I still am. We went to the ER and there was nothing to be done because it was so early in the pregnancy and the Ultrasound showed there was nothing left behind. It was a clean SA as the nurse called it. This was my 5th miscarriage and I don't think I will be able to go through this again. I am going through a serious depression right now and I am hoping that crocheting will help me overcome this devastation. I don't know if it will or not, though.

Well, I am frustrated! I am so mad that I cannot post my pics of crocheting on here! I so badly wanted to share my work and this is disappointing. Well, I know that patience is a virtue and God is not too happy to hear me complain. wah! This is so unfair!! There, my tantrum is finished for now. My dh is working at the honey farm and yesterday, he actually brought out a comb to show our dd where honey comes from. I should have taken the wax and melted it down to make a candle but silly me, I was like a child in a candy store....fresh honey straight from the comb. That was a first for me. I am going to get more beeswax from there today for free. Then I will put my hand in candle making for the first time. I do so love the idea of making things from scratch and not having all the fun taken out by buying it from a store. I know that I have a Secret Pal out there and so I won't spoil the surprise of what I have for her. But you know, being on Crochetville really has enlightened me a great deal. To my shame, I thought crochet was a dying art and that I was catching on the tail end of it. Not to be so! In fact, crochet happens to be one of the most top fibercraft out there besides knitting. But Crochet is older than knitting, isn't it? I know the French Nuns started it and then took it to Ireland when they went over there some time in history. If I am ignorant in posting this, please feel free to correct my thinking. I do so appreciate imput from friends. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Today, on the Forum, I read that one of my fellow crocheters is suffering from a spider bite and her shoulder is out of commission, having to be immobile. I offered to help her crochet anything that she had to work on. So, she presented me with a baby blanket project for her nephew. This works for me because I will be working on a layette for my new little bundle of joy! I am thinking of a quick and easy afghan that calls for three strands of yarn and the Q hook. It works up quick and it will be cuddly too. This will be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to this project. This evening, I found out that my USB port doesn't work and I cannot download my digital camera pics to the computer. I am not happy about this. Oh well, life has its little quirks, doesn't it?

Well, back home in the Hat, my dh is at hospital for tests, my dd made a huge mess of my RH orchid yarn that I am in the process of unravelling. I had read earlier another blog where one of my fellow crocheters sister is battling Cancer of the Throat. Cancer is such an ugly disease but it affects us in different ways emotionally. But we do become depressed along with the sufferer, we hurt with them, we just wish the pain would alleviate somehow. My dd doesn't understand about Daddy being sick, she is only 3. I have found it is easier to tell her that daddy's tummy is making him hurt really bad. She is so emphatetic. When she hears her daddy vomitting in the bathroom, she looks awful worried and when he comes out she tells him, "don't worry daddy, the bug will not stay in the tummy much longer." Where she came up with that, I have no clue. Well, I sort of finished unravelling the yarn but I have to finish some more squares now. I have to get a baby layette pattern out for the baby I found out that we are going to be having in March. Both my mother and brother, not to mention my dd were all born in March. Now, our new one will join us in that wonderful month. I am so excited!

Well, I am down here in Montana visiting family this weekend. Plus the state fair is going on and so I am lucky enough to attend that. My DH is on a new medication that seems to be working somewhat but with Cancer, one can never tell. My dd is going mad over that fact that there is a fair going on. She loves animals. Everytime I pass a pasture and there are cows grazing, she demands that I honk at them. Some times, we get noticed by a bull or two but there are other times they just don't give a cud. I amuse her by some of my cow jokes, like, what do you call a cow that has no legs.....ground beef! Ok, that one was corny but who cares, cows eat corn! I better stop for now. I am driving myself crazy in this heat and trying to think and type at the same time.

Here is the doily I sent to Crafterlady46....compared to the one she sent me, mine fades in comparison

Here is a pic of my DD with the Swan doily that I received today.

Today, I receieved my doily from the doily swap on Crochetville. I was blown away!!! My swap partner made a beautiful swan doily! It was breath-taking! My own DD loved it and wants it for herself....my DH even was impressed by the beauty of it. I feel so blessed that I received this and feel like my doily fades in comparison! I found out that my DH has stomach cancer and he needs medication because he is in the early stages. His mother passed away in 2000 from Leukemia and cancer does run rampant in his side of the family. I am just praying that he will overcome this. He also goes for therapy called the Bowen Technique which is supposed to help his fibromyalgia, scoliosis, stomach pain....I believe this will alleviate some of his pain and since I do know how to do foot reflexology, I was told to work his feet at night. Well, that is the time I usually do my crocheting. But I do love my dh so I think I could juggle my crochet schedule. What we do for love, eh?

One more thought....a friend @ crochetville was looking for the pattern for this particular doilyhttp://www.therockingchair.us/runner.jpg if you know where to find this at, please please please, tell me and I can send the information to my friend. Thank you!!!

Tonight, I decided to try out Dot's little Bitty bag for the bag along. So far, I am using Wal-Mart's Mainstays blue verigated yarn for this project and it is taking on good shape. Nausea, back pain, breast tenderness, tiredness.....does this mean what I think it means????? Let's keep our fingers crossed. Its time that my dd has a sibling to have around. I really hope that I am. Its been really hot here in Alberta and with the way I am feeling, the heat doesn't really help. 94 degrees F!!!! Boy, that is relatively nothing compared to the hot summers I lived through in Arizona!!! I am so glad that I came across Crochetville! It is the only place I really spend any time on when I am online. So much fun reading posts and meeting newbies that join. I feel that they are my family, even though I haven't met them in person yet. I already have mail correspondence here for a cute afghan that was sent from Massechusetts, I sent a doily to Maine, and I have another pattern coming from Kentucky. Right now, my husband and I are working on getting his paperwork to be a landed immigrant for the US and when that is completed, we are moving to Montana. I will so be looking forward to the day that the paper work arrives!!!! We are going through a lawyer in Las Vegas, Nevada and they really get results. So, lets keep our fingers crossed for that too!

Today, I cannot figure out what pattern I want to crochet. My mind is in a whirl-wind and I wish I could think straight. I signed on to do the Bag-Along and at first decided to make the Take a long Tote using Aunt Lydia's crochet demin. I frogged it 3 times already and then tried something else but I just keep going back to the TALT. It is not working for me as of yet and I am running out of patience. I have been working dilegently on my squares but I also have to work on my dishtowel topper for my Luvs2crochet Exchange on Yahoo. What is a girl to do?? My brother is coming up this week and I am hoping that he is bringing his digital camera with him because I want to show off my crochet items I have made and am working on. Well, what is a poor girl supposed to do??? If anyone has other suggestions about a tote bag (I have been to Crochet Patterns Central) that is really simple and quick to make up and nothing too exotic to stitch, let me know.

Today I figured it was time for me to just sit and work on my squares for the Random Square Swap. So far, so good. Just now, my little girl just showed me her version of knitting....one knitting needle in the middle of cotton thread. How sweet, huh? Going back to the squares, I have 6 already done up so far, and one of them is of my own design. I have no clue how I did it but its done. 29 squares left to go. I actually got my doily sent off to Maine today and I am looking forward to receiving my doily. My WIPS seem to be getting bigger and bigger. I have an heirloom tabletopper in progress that I making for my dh's bedside table, squares for the swap, a bag along project that I need to get started on, and of course, my very first M A M afghan. Do I sound like I have CADD? Crochet Attention Deficiet Disorder?? Or is it Crocheting Additicts Decision Disorder?? LOL. Who knows, all I care about is crocheting. It really doesn't matter what it is, I just have to do it! Along those lines, I asked my dh to teach me how to knit a dishcloth. He made one up in just under a half an hour. Just add another hobby into the loop. Well, I am going back to Crochetville to be among friends, more later.

Today, I put my little girl into preschool for the first time. The class was small with only 3 other kids and a pregnant teacher. Sarah made friends quickly and I was afraid she wasn't going to let me go right away. She tried to pull me back into the class but they quickly got her mind off of me by telling her about the piano. That worked, I cried though until I got to the top of the steps and went out of the building. Time to let go...this is the first time for the both of us and it wouldn't help the situation if I made a complete fool of myself. She made her very first collage and a finger painting picture....and as soon as I get pictures, I will post these. I apologize for being slow with the pics but I just got a printer today! But, I need to get a Windows disk before I can use that. Why does my life have to be so complicated? Except crochet.....that I can handle but I have ADD and quite a few UFO's.

My husband actually seen my blog for the first time tonight and he noticed one small flaw. On my profile it said that I was a male rather than female! I just wanted him to see my new button that my crochet friend from C'ville (Veronika, thank you so much) made up for me. LOL he was really sweet about it. This afternoon we decided that we were going to take another serious plunge in our lives....We were going to get the ball rolling for his paperwork to become a landed immigrant for the United States. I went so far as to "land" in Canada for him but you know, I really miss being around things I understand. For example, I don't understand Celsius and kilometers. I was a horrible math student and when it came to metrics, I was asleep, I guess. Anyway, I went online and found a Lawyer who will do the necessary work for us for a nominal fee and we will be on our way. So, we will be in the States come October. I am so excited! I have a group of friends who have scrapbooking crops that I have been to when I was visiting my parents but I will be able to work on my books more than every few days. I am so eager to get this going. Canada is nice but I am spoiled. Its good to go back where you came from and be with the people you love, right?

Ok, this evening, I figured out how many UnFinishedObjects I have going on or formerlly known as WIPs: a mile a minute afghan that I am trying to do on my own without refering to a pattern, the Rose Bower bedspread motifs, a tabletopper for hubby's bedside table. ( I forgot to write that one down on my post at C'ville) Here beside me @ 11 o'clock at night is my sweet little girl. She is waiting for me to go to bed and I have like a zillion and one things to do. I did a mud masque facial on myself, that has to be washed off, I need to finish off the dishes, I hate waking up to dishes in the morning, I have to brush my teeth, I feel like I should crochet, but its been really hot and I am very tired, my husband is home sick tonight and I feel like I should nurse him (I am a Certified Nursing Assistant). Ok, priority number one is to get Sarah in bed. But I know myself, I will zonk out myself. Oh well, that is the way life goes, doesn't it?

Hello again again! Today being a monday I have just completed my house cleaning. I hate this chore but you know how it goes. See my husband works nights and last night he worked 12 hours. Sarah is home from Grandma's and back to her routine. I stayed up until after 12:30 am to catch up on Crochetville and my email and write on my blog, and try to crochet. I was exhausted. So, Sarah's routine is getting up at 8 am, no exceptions. I was so bushed that I psuedo-played with her and then I told her I HAD to lay down and she said ok mommy lay down on the couch. I did and I turned on her shows (Sesame Street, etc;) and I fell into the mother sleep. You know, the sleep where you are asleep but still awake to hear what's going on, with one eye open. Sarah was amazing! She came to me twice just to open up a yogurt and a capri sun drink (not at the same time though). Then, my sleep was rudely interrupted by the stupid door bell. I have a sixth sense about certain things and this was a time when I was NOT going to open the door. Sarah was like, lets get the door and I told her no, that it was someone we didn't want to see. Hubby got up and checked to see who it was, and it was someone who keeps bugging us for money and doesn't pay us back.....we loaned him $280 and we have not seen it since. He told us he was going to pay us back and stuff, but he is the kind of person who will boldly lie to your face and then stab you in the back. Anyway, a few minutes later, I sensed that the mail-person was coming and I told Sarah...the living room was darkened and then we heard the mailbox open. Sarah was all excited about getting the mail. That is her job, bringing in the mail. Today, she is going to the Circus for the first time and Daddy is going to be taking her. Her favorite animal is the elephant and so she is eagerly awaiting her first REAL visual of the pachiderm. I am grateful that she let me have the mommy nap. When I was growing up, I remember this one time my mother was awfully ill and she laid on the couch and my brother and I sat with her behind her legs on the couch and just watched the Electric Company, Sesame Street, and Mister Rogers Neighborhood. She told me about the mommy nap and I thought she was crazy but now, today, I finally understood. I think I owe her an apology and thank her for telling me about it. My lesson I learned.....go to bed earlier and wake up early to crochet more! Crochet and Sarah are my best therapy! I would go nuts if I didn't know either one!

Hello again! I was in Great Falls this past weekend and I took a peek at the newborn kittens to see how they are doing. We were down to 9 and they are flourishing! I brought with me a crocheted "mama-kitty" and the babies went wild! It was so amazing that they took to this like a duck to water. I had put in about 6 animal nursing bottles inside the "cat". It has velcro on the back so it was easier to get the bottles in and out to fill. Those babies just looked natural on that thing and I felt so proud of myself that I actually had an idea and asked for some suggestions on what to do. Your suggestions really helped and those kittens are getting stronger day by day. I was so excited that I actually came up with an idea to develop my own pattern, that I actually decided to make a mile-a-minute afghan. Turns out, that I might have stumbled on to my very own unique way to make the MAM! I took the idea from a book mark and used three types of yarn, one varigated called Fall Splendor, one green called Cilantro, and a beige color called Vallejo Tan. I purchesed these from Wal-mart in Great Falls and the name of the yarn is Mainstays, the wal-mart brand. So far, I made up 3 strips of each color and have a pretty good idea about how I want to join them so it WILL be my own pattern idea. But most definitely, as soon as I get it finished and get pictures, I will post it on my blog AND at Crochetville.com. I am so blessed that I can actually feel comfortable enough to express my feeling about crochet on the internet with fellow "hookers" and actually get positive feedback for once. But getting my husband to buy yarn for me is like pulling teeth. He is still non-responsive to my hobby. I think he is non-respectful as well. But I love yarn. Debbie Macomber, the author of A Good Yarn.....states that she has a yarn room!!! I envy her. I feel like I need yarn even though I don't have enough time in the day to work with it but just the security of knowing that its there, is what I am after. I love crochet. My life would be an absolute bore, except for my beautiful daugher. I need yarn! I need more yarn! I yearn for more yarn!

Hello again, I was just on my favorite site Crochetville and I was reading a post called Three things about you that people don't know about you. I found it rather enlightening that these people would open up their lives and share such private details about themselves. So many things we all have in common, not just crochet, but moments in our lives that touch us. I am really shy by nature, being raised in the Army and all and through this website, I found myself talking with other people who are human, like myself. Not afraid to laugh at ourselves, or afraid to ask questions, well a little timid at first but the answers were not harsh or belittling. I feel like I have an online family when I sign on and read the posts and I get all excited when I know an answer that could be shared or giving some thought to an idea. I actually, for the first time in my life, feel like I found a place where I am accepted for who I am. I......I'm Proud to be a HOOKER ! ahem! a person who crochets, that is Melannie

Hello everyone.... Just thought I would let you all know that I joined my very first Crochet A-Long! Snowflakes in July. So far, I have made three snowflakes. I love the pattern. Its so simple and easy that I couldn't stop at one. I wish that I had a web cam so I could post them on line. They are so pretty and I even put silver glitter on one. My cat, Kaleigh really likes it so I have to keep it up and away from her little reach. I just got on the tailend (no offense, Kaleigh, lol) about a doily swap. If I knew about it sooner, I would have signed up. I have three doilies ready to be made that would be out before the August deadline. Really, I am not whining but I will just make the doilies and randomly send them to someone in the group who would be interested in having them. I need to get on the ball with the forum at times. I really hate to miss the doily swap!!!

Today I thought I would just write about crochet patterns. I have several crochet world mags, 3 crochet pattern books, a binder full of patterns that I downloaded off the internet, 2 very old doily books. One might say (especially my husband) that they are worthless junk. Au Contraire, I believe these items to be my textbooks and worksheets into being a creative woman. To people who possess no such imagination view my hobby as a waste of time. I see it as a creative outlet. One that a person can do when they are 1) Lonely
2)Bored out of their mind
3)Nothing on TV is good enough to keep the mind captivated
4)Hit with a creative streak.

Now, I am not trying to brag or anything, but I have made dozens of afghans, doilies, potholders, etc; but I want to keep making them. I had a client who used to knit. She was in her 80's and she told me that knitting is ok for a while. But it really is useless if you have no one to pass it down to. I agree with her to a point. There are countless charities in need of items such as blankets, hats, gloves. So, for those people who say that crocheting is pointless, go down to the local shelter in the winter time, and tell me what you see. Just because someone is making some article that may seem useless to one, in our hearts we know our gifts will be thoroughly appreciated and worn or used to keep someone warm. That is why I collect patterns. Because I know, while I am crocheting, I will be giving a part of myself as a gift to people in need. When I crocheted my daughters afghan, using a size Q hook and three strands of yarn (yellow, pink, light yellow), my husband thought it was a crazy idea to make an afghan for a 3 year old. I kept my mouth shut(which was difficult) and kept working on it. Sarah, patiently watching me work, asked me if that was for her. I told her that it was and it was my hug to her. When it was finished, Sarah's eyes lit up and she smiled and thanked me and proceeded to wrap herself up in the afghan. I brought it back up to Canada (I was in Montana when it was finished), my hubby saw it and immediately put it on the back of the couch. I just looked at him and was wondering what in the world he was doing. He turned around and smiled at me and said that it looks wonderful on the back of the couch, so when he is laying down, he just has to pull it down and cover up. Sarah came over and immediately took the afghan and said "Bad Daddy! This is MY hug. You don't get to use it" and off she went into her room and laid it out on the floor and played with her toys on it. I thought "Good for you Sarah!". So now, I have to make an afghan just for my dd. Will wonders ever cease?