My First Sweater Ever!

The Caron Circle Jacket is finished and it was a success! I can hardly believe that I actually made a garment...let alone something that is more than a simple rectangle! I actually finished it Saturday, but I haven't had time to post until now. I was so proud of it I had to wear it to church Sunday! :o) I'm still thinking about blocking it, though. I think it might help show off some of the stitches better.

Anywho, as to the particulars...I did not do the double button "thingy" per the pattern. I just sewed on a button I happened to have that matches the yarn color. Speaking of the yarn, I use Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Red. I really like the color! I would make one in black, too, but I already have enough black sweaters. I'm so glad I decided to go with the small size. I wasn't sure if it would fit according to the measurements in the pattern...but if I'd made it any larger I'd be swimming in it! Thanks to everyone who did this pattern before me and found all the errors, I really thought was pretty simple! So maybe I am an intermediate crocheter now! Woohoo!

So, now what project can I think up next? Hmmmmm.....

Dreamin',

Cocoa

I Tackled It!

BEWARE! The following pictures are only for the stout of heart! Well, at least those who don't mind a little dust. I have decided to join all those doing "Tackle It Tuesdays" thanks to the successes I've seen on Jeanie's blog and my new resolve to be more disciplined and productive at home. I'm only two days into my new schedule, but I'm liking it already!

So, how about that dust? Boy, it's been so long since I dusted my house that I can't remember when I did it last! So I decided that this would be my first tackle. It was a small task compared to some, but I thought it would be best to start with something I new I could complete tonight to give myself confidence that I can do this. And I did! Actually, taking the before and after pictures was almost as much of a chore as the actual dusting. But it was fun to put them all together and show that I did indeed accomplish what I set out to do! Yay!

Whistlin' and Workin',

Cocoa

Working Hard, Playing Hard

Woohoo! I am over halfway finished with my first sleeve....ever! I can make sleeves! I can't believe it! How exciting! I don't have time to post pics tonight...but soon I will have a finished product to show off. I'm trying to get this finished by Friday night so I can block it on Saturday (it is not shaped quite right yet) and wear it to our church's Valentine's Banquet Saturday night! I think I will wear it with a black tank and black slacks. I can hardly wait to wear my first crocheted sweater!

Speaking of the Valentine's Banquet, I am on the Children's Committee that is hosting the banquet this year to raise money for the kids to go to camp, etc. Therefore, I am supposed to go early and set up and help in any other way I can, but I am having a hard time wanting to do this. I've been really bogged down at work lately, so much so that when I get home I don't want to do anything except sit and vegetate. But I am seeing that this is a horrible waste of time and that it is not helping me feel more energetic. So today I decided to make a schedule for myself to follow each day when I get home from work to help myself become more disciplined and productive at home. I am praying that the Lord will help me stick to this schedule and honor Him more with my time and energy. Hopefully then I will have more joy to serve at church as well.

Anywho....I feel like I am just babbling on for no apparent reason with nothing to say....so I think I'd better stop. My brain must be tired! At least I can crochet with only half a brain! So, it's back to work...or play! :o)

Sittin' and Stitchin',
Cocoa

Caron Circle Jacket

Well, I finally got started on the Caron Circle Jacket! It is going by so quickly! I'm so thankful for everyone who did this pattern already at Crochetville and found all the errors because now that it has been a few months since it's been out Caron has actually corrected most of the pattern errors! And it has been good to be able to read about the pattern and its potential problems before trying to tackle it myself. That has saved a bunch of headaches for me! I've just finished row 13, and I'm so excited to keep working on it! Too bad I have to stop to make dinner! I'll be back to work soon, though! :o)

UPDATE:

I've made quite a bit of progress on this in the last few days! Yippee! It really is a pretty simple pattern once you get past the first few rows! Of course, I have not yet started the sleeves...that will be a new adventure for me. I like the way it is shaping up so far. I just hope the ruffles aren't too much for me! :o) Well, back to the hook....

Stitchin' and Grinnin',

Cocoa

Oh, the Joys of Organization

I have been seeing lots of people making these little fabric cases for their hooks and things, and they looked so neat that I decided to make one myself. I was especially inspired by Erin's hook case, and even though I tried to follow the tutorial she linked to, I ended up really making it up as I went. It was so fun to dust off the sewing machine and use up a bit of my fabric stash...which is much bigger than my yarn stash right now! So, I now have a completely organized place to keep my hooks, tapestry needles, and other little odds and ends I may need. And in the process I found the small pair of scissors my mom gave me a year ago and couldn't find anywhere for months....they were hiding with my sewing machine! Go figure! :o) Anyway, here are the photos. Hope they inspire you as others have inspired me!

Here's the case when it's all rolled up:

Here it is unrolled with the flap down:






And here it is completely open. I used sticky-back velcro instead of sewing the flap down. I didn't want it too permanent. It works great!

Still Stitchin' and Grinnin',

Cocoa