Sunday, July 3, 2005

Stash Enhancement and the Newest Budding Crocheter


It's been a week since we've returned home from house-sitting for my parents. I think it's about time I caught up with this blog! This is a bit long, so if you don't want to read about all the wonderful, FUN mail waiting for me when I arrived home last Sunday, then scroll on down to the news about our newest budding crocheter. And it gets a little more interesting after that. Children....they can always make you laugh.



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This is the wonderful package Tracy ("Gingerchai" at Crochetville)sent to me. There were 3 dishcloths! Wow! Thank you, Tracy! I also loved getting an entire back of Candy...even if I couldn't READ one word on the package! Oh, excuse me....I did understand "Made in Germany" located on the back of the package. Image hosted by Photobucket.com

from Tracy



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When I opened this package which had "Crochetville" written on the outside, I couldn't help but wonder from what swap at Crochetville this was. However, when I opened this package, there was no longer any confusion. Oh my the yarn that I saw! I was very VERY happy with this wonderful yarn that Cheryl (aka "Diamond" at Crochetville) sent to me! Wow! And not only the yarn, but the extra goodies! This was a very generous package and I felt very spoilt (is that a word?) Look at everything! I was taking things out one by one, petting it, oohing and ahhhing over it, and still there was more! You really packed this well, Cheryl!

from Cheryl aka 'Diamond'

Cheryl sent 2 skeins of Paton's "Cha-Cha", 2 skeins of Bernat "Denim Style", 5 skeins of Moda-Dea "Swirl", and a ball of ribbon yarn "Eros" by Plymouth Yarns. Wow!!! Besides the wonderful yarns, she sent some very sweet-smelling tart candles, some seashells, a turtle bookmark, a waterbottle holder, a much-loved-by-me bumper sticker stating "I'd Rather Be Crocheting!", and my most favorite, a butterfly spiral-bound notebook! It's gorgeous!

Thank you so much, Cheryl! You really outdid yourself! I love EVERYTHING!

~CROCHET LIST BOOKMARK EXCHANGE~

For the CLBMX, a package from Sandy Lewis was waiting for me. Inside, she had sent me not one, but two, lovely bookmarks! The thread she used is very soft. She also enclosed a magnetic memo pad picturing ice-cream (yum yum!), and two blank notecards with envelopes. I love stationery (still don't know if that should be spelled with an "ery" or "ary"...you'd think I'd look it up) and to receive something so simple and yet so useful really puts a smile on my face. Thank you, Sandy! June CLBMX by Sandy Lewis

~EBAY TO THE RESCUE!~

Also last week, Glitterspun yarn arrived! I haven't been on eBay for awhile, but before buying Glitterspun at $7.99 retail a skein, I thought I'd check eBay first. I needed 7 skeins to make this, but I only won these 5. But I won them for $17 which included postage! That breaks down to only $3.40 a skein! Wowee! So I'm not complaining about only having 5 skeins. I'll get those last two sooner or later, but hopefully not at $7.99 a skein! Isn't it pretty?
Lion Brand 'Glitterspun'

~RAOK~

Though she says it's not "officially" a RAOK 'cause she didn't check my Wishlist or anything like that and simply sent it "just because", this is definitely a Random Act of Kindness. I was pleasantly surprised to see a small box in my mail last week with Julie's return address on it. She's just such a sweet girl that I always smile when I see her name!
Compliments of JulieShe was very, very, very thoughtful in sharing some Lurex with me which I think she's been stockpiling! I can now see why she has been raving about it. It's very pretty! I haven't worked it up in a snowflake yet, Julie, but just as soon as I have a minute to do a snowflake, I'm going to incorporate some of this silken thread in it. I also loved the sticker "Warning: Beware of the Crochet Lady"! And look at this wonderful ornament. There is a watering can charm hanging in front of the pot that reads "Blessings". Isn't it sweet! Flower Ornament from Julie
Thank you so much, Julie, for these wonderful gifts. It made my day to receive them!


Stay with me! There's a little more I want to show you!

I FINALLY got a copy of Donna Kooler's "Encylopedia of Crochet"! Image hosted by Photobucket.com I was so so SO happy to get this! I used a 50% off coupon at the Joann's near my parents' home and went shopping during my week of house-sitting. I definitely didn't mind paying the $12 for this because it's a wonderful resource book and I can't find it anywhere else, even on eBay, for less!
Yippeeeee!  Both at 50% off!

I also bought that second book for my 7 year old daughter Kelley, hoping it would inspire her once again to learn to crochet. She's expressed interest in the past, but I haven't been the best teacher (impatience...Image hosted by Photobucket.com). So I made up my mind that I WOULD be a better teacher, and she would learn how to crochet by me! She enjoyed looking through her new book (also a 50% off book!) and planning her projects. But wait, dear child, you have to learn to chain first. "Ok, Mom." And look at her go..... (and she wants to learn to knit, too!)

Kelley is chaining! Isn't it beautiful? She was so proud of herself.  I was, too...


Besides the two books, I also bought this at Joann's. For 2 days only it was 50% off clearanced prices. So that $2 skein of Bernat came down to $1! I've never had any Red Heart Luster Sheen but love it after seeing this. And the buttons were all 60% off, I believe. Jessie wanted the Fish, Kelley wanted the Turtles, and I wanted the Flowers and the Patriotic assortment. I could really stand there and buy some buttons, let me tell you. They are so cute! I use them to embellish bookmarks more than anything else. And sometimes the girls just like to play with a jar full of buttons!
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I did go back on Saturday, 2nd day of the sale, and buy a few more skeins of clearanced yarn. For $.50 and $1 a skein for Jamie baby yarn,Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, and more RH Luster Sheen, I couldn't pass it up! I also used a 50% off coupon for Lily Chin's book about crocheting and knitting with beads!! Beautiful book!

Then I saw my first issue of Crochet Fantasy after new management has taken over it. I'm interested in seeing the next issue before I say anything about what I think about the new Crochet Fantasy. I will say that it does have more articles in it than previously, history and know-how.
Crochet Fantasy


And these are some bookmarks I crocheted while house-sitting. These will be for the CLBMX and for the Image hosted by Photobucket.com over at Crochetville. Bookmarks

And finally, I leave you with my 1 year old TJ. May I say that I NEVER saw this gesture while taking this picture. He was dancing and waving his hand in the air (we were at a Vacation Bible School program and it was Music Time). It was not until I looked down at the captured picture on my digital camera that I saw what he had really done... oh my....

TJ!


Now let's all just pretend that we didn't see that....

I didn't see that!  Did you see that, Jessie?  No, Mom, I didn't see it either.  Oh, good!  (bad TJ!) giggle,giggle
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

well mom i love that chain i made but double crochet? no way! mom might do that red to the very very longest chain you have ever seen that anyone has ever made or seen i heard mom yawn goodbye