I got a life

I have sometimes wondered how I managed to post the same thing twice-now I know. I hit enter twice instead of Tab. Learn something new everyday. Just call me spastic hands. Sometimes I don't feel like I really have a life. I read a lot of blogs and am on several groups-but it seems like I don't have a lot of time to do what I want. I think part of it goes down to still being on dialup. Instead of a few seconds to make a post it takes many minutes. Posting a picture is like having a tooth pulled.

Still I am crocheting on the same two things I was working on before. When using thread, finished objects take longer. The shawl is getting the most attention for now. I will still be able to use it even in the winter-at least around the house. I wouldn't wear it outside for anything-too thin, since its being crocheted from some very fine rayon or bamboo-not sure which. I decided on a rectangle shape, as long as the yarn will make it. I was going to take pictures of it on my dressmaker dummie but...It's been sitting in the storage room and the little black cat has been at it. I will have to recover it completely. It's been shredded. I may try to decopage it and make it still usable. I never pin into it anyway. The padding was too thin, anyway I took pics while the items were laying on the floor and we'll see how well they turned out. First up is the shawl-the credit for this Idea goes to popolina. I saw one on her site but hers is silk. This is supposed to be rayon, or mulberry silk or some such, whatever it is, the color is a vivid Turquoise. I worked on it in the laundromat on Sunday. I am pleased with the way the fabric feels and the stitch works well too. This stitch pattern in number 150 in one the Harmony stitch guides. I tried to take a closeup, it didn't turn out as well, but here goes anyway.

It gives a good idea what the stitch should be. I am also working on a Thread crochet top-it is taking a long time too-its a Plus size. I am using a lot of different stitches in it, a V-stitch yoke ( I like to work in the round-no seams) with a shell stitch next and a narrow band of stitches coming next to separate the shell stitches from the clover fan stitch from the first and original harmoney guide to crochet stitches. I love the first one by Sylvia Cosh best of all. Heres the picture of it. For some reason no matter where I try to upload the pictures too-I wind up having to move them around after they get there and then hoping they stay where I put them. There is a lot left to do on this top, another 12 or so inches of lace and I haven't decided on an edging yet plus the sleeves. Its a bit different when reading stitches for flat crochet and doing them in the round. I would attempt to post the clover fan stitch picture but it was a bit blurry due to shaky hands. I love this colorway on the skein but am not too crazy about it in the top. I hope I like it better when Its finished. I will have to make something to wear under it. I just don't like showing a lot of skin. Anyway now you know what occupies so much of my time. Two very time consuming projects. I am pround of myself though-I finished a short term project, in only a week. A very large crocheted bag to carry my crochet in. It holds these two current projects plus the thread for them and a pair of socks to knit on and several magazines, never mind what it weighs. It is usually on the floor anyway. I'll post pics of it next time.

Some spinning has been going on too. I am using one of my boughten spindles, but I am dissapointed in it, It doesn't work any better than the ones I made. Most ways not as good. The ones I made were $8 for 8 spindles and some of my time, they work very well. The one I bought was $43 and just doesn't do what I needed at all. I liked the ones I made so well I got more of the wheels and will make 8 more eventually. Not knocking all handmade spindles just some. Some of them out there will be ten times better than my homemade ones. I would love to have a Bosworth-but thats a bit out of my range right now. Maybe someday.

Has anyone else been watching "The Amazing Mrs. Prichard" on PBS? I tried not to watch it and got hooked anyway. Its very good, not dull at all, it started kind of slow but became much more interesting in last nights episode. Much more intrigue anyway. At least its not Reallity TV-I hate that stuff. How many stupid people does it take to win a million dollars? I read a book by Harry Harrison years ago, one of the Stainless steel Rat series. In it he talks about an invasion coming from outspace-in the book its real, and the public doesn't care because they have all become addicted to reality television. Only on the reality tv he talks about, people are actually murdered or fight to the death. The public he talks about thrive on death and blood, sounds like now. Anyway thats all that's going on right now. Next time I'll post some of the fractals I've made too.

Free Burma!!!!!

Crocheting and whatever

About all I've done for the last two months is crochet when I get the chance. I am working on a top in thread and now a shawl. I got the idea for the shawl after seeing one on Poppalina's blog, she made one from some beautiful silk, I don't have any silk right now and the thread I am using for the shawl is very fine weaving thread, tripled. It took forever to wind off 6 balls that were the same size. It is an unknown yarn to me, the cone says its rayon, but it feels more like bamboo. Its been around ten years or more, so I can't tell and can't find out either. It came in a Robins egg blue-looks more turquoise to me. Whatever it is, its still pretty, I'll post some pics when I have enough progress to show. Right now It's only about 24 inchs wide and 8 inchs long. It took me a while to get the stitch memorized, its an 11 row repeat, with my memory it was a chore. I want to work on the top some more before I take my pics. It looks really pretty too, so far. Its done in a rather complicated stitch too. Maybe all that memorizing will help my memmory,who knows.

I started doing Yoga again too. I have gained some weight so modifications are neccesary but thats okay. What amazes me is how much I still remember, and how much I've forgotten. One of the things I have missed is the sense of balance and peace I get from Yoga and meditation. It's really lovely. Even when things are pressuring me and its hard to cope with finances and house hold things, I still feel on an even keel. It'll probably take me two or three years to get the weight off again. I quit doing the yoga when I started the Jenny C program-they wanted me to do more walking and things like that. As soon as I couldn't afford the very expensive food they have though, the weight started comming back, and I was still exercising about 3 hours a day, so that wasn't it. I didn't really have such a weight problem while doing the Yoga. So now I am doing about an hour a day of it. I hope to be back up to 2 or 3 hours later on after my muscles become more limber. Thats how long I used to spend bending and stretching my self everyday, with another hour or two in meditation. Its been so long. Since its become rather Passe' I feel much more comfortable with it again.

The house hold things I mentioned are things like, both VCR/DVD combos that we have went caput on the same day. Power Surge, the surge protectors didn't help a bit. The washer went out last week. And my old tape player ate my favorite Yoga tape. Just myriad little pokey things have broken down. Its a bit frustrating. The microwave and the Coffee maker went out 6 months ago.

There is one more bright spot for me though, about a year ago we bought a game, The Jouney to Wild Devine and the second part called Wisdom quest, its so much fun. It's a bio-feedback game. Everything you do in the game is based on breathing and your energy levels. It works out really well to learn to breath to calm yourself or to energize your self. If you want to look for a copy of it just google it, Its fairly expensive but well worth the cost as far as I am concerned. I feel more relaxed and less on edge after playing it for a while.

I have been very upset with what has been happening in Burma and needed to take the edge off things, I was so upset, I still am underneath. those poor monks, they will be confined for years, until they all die of starvation and beatings. No one in the western hemisphere seems to care, they are buddhist monks not christian and in the christian world, I once inhabited they are heathern. I am glad I left that world behind, Now I believe that everyone has good in them and that is what matters to God, whatever representation of him is used. I've had a lot of sleepless nights since the riots started and its been worse since the monks were imprisoned. I know they must be suffering, its too bad that human beings can be so cruel and unfeeling to one another. That's all for now or I'll get depressed just talking about it.