It's been almost two weeks...

I usually don't go this long in between posts.  I have a lot to tell you.  The reason I've been away so long is that my boyfriend, Dave, was in the hospital again.  While he was in the hospital we got some bad news.  There's a small spot on his liver that turned out to be cancer.  So that means his colon cancer spread to the liver.  It means different chemo and then another surgery.

It has been a long two weeks.  We managed to have a really good day yesterday though.  We got out of the house and there was beautiful weather.  It was Dave's idea to stop at a yarn shop that I had never been to.  His idea, I swear.

I have a lot to show you:

-Dave bought me yarn - a lot
-I gave Heather her birthday present early
-I have a big portion of a project done to show you
-I won a giveaway a few weeks ago that I want to show
-I started a new project

Also, I hinted at a surprise a couple months ago and it's here!  Laurie Laliberte over at Big Girl Blog just posted my Kitchen Towel Topper Tutorial!

I'll post a version of it here in the next day or so.

Sam

My Weekend - Giving Away the Baby Blanket

I finished the Little Square Baby Blanket just in time.  The baby shower was this past Sunday.  This shower was very elegant.

Me, my mom, my sister Missy

Look at all of the presents!

Ben was there the whole time helping open presents and such.  He jokingly said other husbands are going to hate him.

Here's Ashlee opening my blanket:

They really liked it!  I really liked that one and it was hard to give away! :-)

Did you ever have a hard time giving away a present?

Sam :-)

FO Friday - Little Square Baby Blanket

I'm so excited that I finally have one of my big projects finished!  The Little Square Baby Blanket is finally done.  I've showed it to you in progress, so many times (here, here, here, here, here, and here)

I had a few difficulties with this blanket.  The soon to be mom asked me very nicely for no purple.  She knew the general idea of what I wanted to do for her and she know that I was using the left overs from my ripple.  Using my left overs meant I could use a high quality yarn without spending a ton of money and that made her happy.  She knows that purple is my favorite color, but she really just isn't a fan.

She really loves brown, that's why I chose to put the squares together with this nice brown.

So are you ready to see it?!  Here it is all complete:

The back looks just as good as the front, as you can see above.

I am so in love with this blanket and I'm sure that the mom to be will love it!!

The details:

Yarn:  Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Colors:  044 (green), 059 (teal), 020 (yellow), 047 (green), 031 (blue), 032 (blue), 008 (navy), 002 (green), 063 (orange), 046 (turquoise), 037 (red), 039 (dark green), 068 (orange), 072 (green). 071 (blue), and 048 (brown)
Size: 27"x32" (67cm x 81cm)
Hook: 4mm G hook (tend to go up a hook size)

I've linked up with Tami's Amis, Natural Suburbia, and Wisdom Begins in Wonder.

Sam <3

April Mosaic

Ummm... you may notice that my crafting in April was dominated by a certain two projects:

Speaking of those two projects, hopefully I'll have the smaller one to show you on Friday!  The Little Square Baby Blanket has a due date of Sunday (the baby shower).  It will be done in time.  I just don't know if it will be done in time to have pictures for this Friday.  We'll see.

Sam :-)

Crafting Balance - Day 7 - KCBWDAY7

Today's topic is:

Crafting Balance 

Are you a knitter or a crocheter, or are you a bit of both? If you are monogamous in your yarn-based crafting, is it because you do not enjoy the other craft or have you simply never given yourself the push to learn it? Is it because the items that you best enjoy crafting are more suited to the needles or the hook? Do you plan on ever trying to take up and fully learn the other craft? If you are equally comfortable knitting as you are crocheting, how do you balance both crafts? Do you always have projects of each on the go, or do you go through periods of favouring one over the other? How did you come to learn and love your craft(s)?

 Honestly I don't really have a complete answer for this.  I crochet and knit, but I only learned how to knit a few months ago.  I have had two big crochet projects going lately that my followers will know in an instant.

My ripple:

And my Little Square Baby Blanket, which I'm going to show you the most up to date photo I have from yesterday (I was really busy on this yesterday).  It is even farther along than when you saw it on Friday.

Once these two crochet projects are done, I imagine that I will be fairly equal with my crocheting and knitting.  I think it will be whatever project calls to me next.  There are quite a few knit projects that I have lined up.  I think I'd have one of each going at the same time.

That is my best guess.  How are you if you can do both?

Again, if you want to see other posts on this topic, simply google KCBWDAY7.  It has been a lot of fun participating.

Sam <3

Improving Your Skillset - Day 6 - KCBWDAY6

So, todays topic is:

Improving Your Skillset

How far down the road to learning your craft do you believe yourself to be? Are you comfortable with what you know or are you always striving to learn new skills and add to your knowledge base? Take a look at a few knitting or crochet books and have a look at some of the skills mentioned in the patterns. Can you start your amigurumi pieces with a magic circle, have you ever tried double knitting, how's your intarsia? If you are feeling brave, make a list of some of the skills which you have not yet tried but would like to have a go at, and perhaps even set yourself a deadline of when you'd like to have tried them by.

So, I've been crocheting for a little over a year.  I would like to think that I am moderate when it comes to skill level.  I haven't had a problem with anything new that I've tried, but I don't think I've tried anything truly hard.  If I come across a pattern that I like and it hasn't something in it that I don't know how to do, I just find a book, video, or something to figure out how to do it.

I only started to knit in January.  I can only do the basics right now, but I have plans to learn so much.  I showed you earlier my large queue, here and here.  Many of the knit projects will require me to learn something knew.

The Cream and Sugarl Cowl will require me to learn cables.

The All Day Beret would be my first hat and my first knit project in the round.

And the Entrelac Scarf would of course require me to learn entrelac.

These are only a few examples, but if a pattern catches my eye, I'll do whatever I can to learn enough to make it.

I've really liked this book I bought:  The Knitting Book

Its a fairly large book.

It covers all of the topics I mentioned above and more.  It really has been handy while I've been learning.

I can't believe blog week is almost over.  If you want to see other posts on this topic, simple google KCBWDAY6

Sam :-)

Something A Bit Different - Day 5 - 3KCBWDAY5

3KCBWDAY5