Home, sweet home again! DH and I had a wonderful vacation with family, and we enjoyed the cold weather so much! But we are glad to be back in our own house again, in spite of the Texas weather and the fact that we have to get back to work again soon. I don't feel like writing a whole lot tonight, so I will just share some pics instead!

These are the hats I crocheted for my grandma and her husband, as I wrote about in my last couple of posts. Hers is the crimson one with the brim down (to show the stitches better), and his is the aran fleck with brim rolled up.


Here is my beautiful kitty, Bright, who lives at home with my parents. We can't have any pets here, and she doesn't travel well...so she gets to stay with them instead! She is a queen, as you can probably tell, and rules the house, regardless of what the other pets may think!

This is my brother's cat, Whitetip, who is the baby of the family. He loves to cuddle, but he is full of mischief and likes to play rough. His tail never stops moving, even when he's asleep...so Dad nicknamed him "Thumper."
And this is Gunner, the family dog. He used to be quite a hunter, but he's retired now because of arthritis in his back hips and legs. Nowadays he just wants to be close to anyone who will scratch him behind the ears and give him a bite of "people food" every once in a while!

Well, that's all for now...I'm still recovering from our long trip, but I hope to write more in the next few days!

Happy New Year!

Cocoa

Vacation is here at last! Yippee! Hooray! Yahoo! (Can you tell I'm excited?) My hubby and I are traveling back north to visit my parents, grandparents, and any other random family members we may happen to see. I can't wait to be so cold that I actually have to wear a warm sweater, winter coat, scarf, hat and gloves! Some of you may think I'm crazy, but I'm really just a northerner at heart, longing for that familiar old wintery weather. It may not be a white Christmas, but at least it will be cold! :o)

I did finish those hats I was working on (see previous post), but I forgot to take pics of them before I wrapped them--oops! So, I will have to try to remember to do that after the packages get opened. I really enjoyed making these hats...so much so that I am thinking of making more for the rest of my family and myself! They were so easy once I learned the stitches...and they are super thick and warm.

Well, it is late, and we have an early start in the morning. So, in case I don't get to blog much again until after Christmas....

Merry Christmas to you all!

Remember, Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

~Cocoa~

Happy day! I am no longer depressed! Hooray!

Last night I decided to make matching hats for my Gran and her husband for Christmas. So, I went on a mad search for a hat pattern that seemed appropiate for an older adult, that was functional and warm (they live in the cold and windy North) and that had some pretty detail to make it unique. I finally discovered a wonderful pattern by Lisa at Crochet Garden that is just perfect. (It is the "Thick Warm Crocheted Winter Hat.") It is simple and practical in construction, and the cables and ridges give it just the right amount of detail. I was a bit nervous about making the hats at first, since I have only made one hat in my entire life...but I am so glad I decided to jump in and do it! Since I am still technically a relatively inexperienced crocheter, I had never tried front or back post stitches before; and this pattern in chalk full of them! I also had never attempted (or even considered attempting) cables before. But now that I have learned these stitches, I see how truly simple they are! And I am already imagining the possibilities for future projects involving these stitches!

Amazing! I have something to do and something to look forward to doing! That makes my day!

Stitchin' and Grinnin' Once Again,
Cocoa

Oh, by the way, I forgot to write an update on the brown and cream felted purse that I had so much trouble with. I did finally decide to felt it again, and that seemed to help a bit. I also made a closure for it, thanks to input from Lauren at http://littleriverfiberarts.blogspot.com/. Here's what it looks like now:

It's the last week of school before Christmas vacation, and I should be celebrating...but I feel kinda down. I think my body is already on vacation, and my brain wants to go with it. But I have so much left to do before the week is over! I also might be a little down because of all this crocheted stuff I now have sitting in the corner of the living room collecting dust. I have listed it all on etsy, but who knows if/when it will ever sell! I was so hoping to sell it at the craft fair, and now it is just sitting here...lonely and unloved. I worked so hard on all of it, creating my own designs and patterns, trying all kinds of new things...and what did it all accomplish? Depressing, just downright depressing...

Another downer right now is that I have this yarn I bought that I really, really want to make into a sweater for myself. But I don't like any of the patterns I've found, and I'm not feeling confident enough to just wing it. I've never made a anything that wasn't basically just a circle or rectangle, and I'm scared to make a garment without a pattern. However, one of these days, if I can't find a pattern I like, I may just get adventurous enough to try...we'll see.

Well, so much for cheering myself up by blogging! I think I'd better go do something productive before my brain turns to mush while staring at the computer. Hope you are having happier days than me!

Depressed and Depressing,
Cocoa

I did it...I now have my own Etsy shop, and I have just listed my first item! I am so excited! I signed up for my own PayPal account (separate from DH's) and everything! The craft fair at school ended today, so I'll be listing anything I didn't sell there in the next few days. It was disappointing not to do much business, but people just weren't interested in the same things they were last year. I did great last year, while another gal who makes jewelry didn't do much business. This time around, I didn't sell much at all...but she got a ton of orders for custom-made stuff! Go figure! Oh well...maybe it was all meant to be in the end. I may do really well selling stuff online instead. We shall see. Besides, I do have a couple of special orders to make. So, maybe it will all work out in the end.

Well, I have to go check on my turkey now...No, we're not having Thanksgiving late. Hubby and I just decided that while turkeys are in abundant supply we should buy a big one, roast it, and freeze it for quick meals later on. So, Mr. Turkey No. 2 is happily cooking away right now!

Cookin' and Hookin',
Cocoa

Woohoo! My post editor toolbar has returned! I don't know where it was, but I hope it had a nice trip! Anyway, now I can post my pics. And I learned how to do clickable pictures, so I am super excited! The first is my dad's afghan/lapghan, "Christmas Crosses." The second photo is my mom's snowman doorstop. He's so cute (and so big!). Enjoy!

Frustration! I really wanted to post some pictures of the Christmas projects I've finished, but blogger is being annoying and not letting me have my post editor toolbar! Grrrrr....grumble, grumble.

Oh well, suffice it to say that my Christmas gifts are complete, and I'm very pleased with the way they turned out. The craft fair at school is in full swing, though I have not done much business so far. We had a little setback on Thursday and Friday because bad weather kept alot of people home. So I'm hoping that Monday and Tuesday I'll be able to sell some more items. But if not, I've been busy setting up an Etsy store and considering all the ins and outs of online sales. Whatever I don't sell at the craft fair will go up for sale on Etsy, so keep your eyes peeled!

I've also been busy reworking the look of my blog (as you can see). I wanted something that was a little more professional looking without being boring. The Scribe template is just my style, too...a little bit romantic, but still very practical! It will be evolving more as I learn how to navigate Blogger beta. Funny how I just dove into this blogging thing, started to think I had things figured out, then decided to switch it all up! I guess I just can't resist a challenge!

Well, that's all for now. I think I'll head on over to Crochetville and try to post my pics there, at least. I just love being able to show off what I've made! :o)

Happy Sunday ya'll!
Cocoa