Stephie's Doily

Finished last night. I don't know what the glitch was that I hit last week and had to put it down for a bit, but I'm not complaining as it went very well to the finish this week and so I present Stephie's Doily.

Stephanie passed on quite a few years ago now. I didn't know Stephanie, I did know her daughter. We went to grade school together. Didn't see her again until around the time that her mom had gotten sick. She was a really nice kid, she hasn't changed, she's still a really nice, great person. Her best friend is one of my best friends who I helped to learn crochet a few years ago. My friend was so excited to be able to do thread crochet and herself has done some beautiful doilies, always mentioning the work that Stephanie had done. In her house is an angel in thread crochet done by Stephanie. It is very beautiful. I have seen other pieces as well, they all are exquisite.

And so when Stephanie's daughter recently found a pattern that was Stephanie's she gave it to her (and my) friend who asked me could I crochet it and try it out as she was having some difficulty with it. Well, I really enjoyed this pattern and now that it is finished I would like for my friend to have it. The pattern instruction is something like I have never seen, its a huge piece of paper, folded into fourths and worn over time, there wasn't a name. And so I call it Stephie's Doily. The pattern itself is a treasure. I worked from copies my friend made which made it much easier.

Loving crochet as much as I do, I love this pattern even more as I know how much Stephanie and her daughter mean to my friend, you couldn't have closer family. And so I feel blessed to have been able to do this for her, for Stephanie.

This weekend Stephie's Doily will go to its new home.

Good Morning

We have sunshine today and its a little warmer with very warm temperatures predicted for tomorrow (87) ...

I am almost done with "Stephie's Doily". Picked it back up the night before last. I have just one and a half points to go. Don't know what the glitch was that I was having a problem with last week as it seems to be working out just fine right now. Sometimes its just so much better to put a project down for a while and let it sit when that happens.

Hope to finish tonight and then back to some knitting!

Have a great day!

Wishing you Rays of Sunshine.

Have a good day ...

Off and out to dodge the droplets again today but thinking of the May flowers to come!

May blessings be rained down upon you.

Adventures in Knitting

I am doing it! So far so good. I am now on my seventh square and am enjoying knitting! I'm certainly not as fast as when I crochet but this is only my second project. I do find the repetition of this pattern (garter stitch - so very easy) makes for better coordination with the needles. Maybe by the end of this project I will be able to incorporate some new stitches in.

My technique is somewhat different but the results aren't bad. I do have trouble casting on right now, but it seems to be straightened out after the first row is knit.

I even get the needles to click once in a while!

Is This Heaven?

The Master's Touch ... only the hand of God could create such beauty.

One Baby Blanket

FINISHED!

I have so enjoyed making this blanket and am sure I will be making others. The pattern for this lovely is called Ryann's Cuddle Cover and can be found at Crochet Mary Ellen's Home on The Web Ryann's Cuddle Cover & Gerbera Daisy Patterns

After joining the squares I added a border of three rows of single crochet, then one row of 3 single crochets, 5 double crochet in next single crochet ... around, join and finish off.

This particular blanket is for a little girl scheduled to arrive in May. Now to find some accessories to add.

Couldn't wait another minute

Took a run today to get this yarn ... I have zero patience when it comes to yarn. Even though I will not be starting this for a bit yet I have to have these wonderful colors where I can see and touch them!














I just love this blanket, everything about it, the colors, the squares, the softness and I have to make one just like it in KNIT ... yikes ... but I think its a good way to see if I can get used to knitting. So move over hooks and give the needles some room. However, I do anticipate that this will be an ongoing project in between crocheting.


















My tools are ready and waiting





...but first, the last row of the edging is being added to this baby blanket.






When completed the needle clicking will commence (I hope).

I so envy those who can knit.

Wish me luck!

Itching to Knit

I have set this book out after seeing the lovely blanket I posted about a few days ago. I did make this little sweater quite a while ago but I am painfully slow.

It amazes me how soft knitting can make yarn feel plus I loved the look of it. I do find coordinating two knitting needles a little difficult but I think I am ready to tackle this little blanket.

Besides, I am almost finished with one of the two baby blankets I have been working on. Started the edging last night and maybe will have done tonight (this week). Oh yes, do have "several" thread projects in the hopper (yes, I have lost count of exactly how many ...) but now that I have only one yarn project I can start another. (How's that for rational for starting another project?) Knitting and tatting, neither of which I can do, have been on my list of to do for a long time. I would love to conquer knitting, hopefully this is my start.

The Best To Your Day.

Monday Menu

Slow Cooker Cassoulet

Ingredients
3 chicken leg quarters
1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
(I used a can of pinto beans and a can of northern beans)
4 hot sausage, cook and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup white cooking wine

Directions

Place the chicken into the bottom of a slow cooker. Stir together the onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, cannellini beans, and sausage in a large bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker, and pour the wine over all the ingredients. Cover, set the cooker to Low, and cook until the chicken is very tender and the cassoulet is thickened, 5 to 6 hours.

As the chicken was still a bit frozen when I put this together I cooked on high setting for the last hour.

The original recipe can be found here. Slow Cooker Cassoulet - All Recipes

As I used what I had on hand my ingredients are a bit different but this is very, very tasty. This is going in my keeper recipe file!

mmmm mmmm good!

Apple Blossom Time

When we arrived in Washington, DC last week we just missed the cherry blossoms; finished for another year.

Returning home we are almost at the end of the apple blossoms. Although not as lush as it would have been last week it is still quite beautiful. I still find this such an amazing sight. The sounds of the orchards ...such blessed silence. His graces and touch are so apparent.

ps...these are taken from my back yard.

Don't forget the crochet when travelling...

Of course one cannot leave home without a crochet hook, knitting needles, thread and yarn.

This is what I am calling Stephie's Doily ... I am just adding the points, four done, four left to do but for some reason have run into a glitch. Best to let sit for a bit and then try and figure out the problem.

A friend did this lovely coverlet ... knitting, this is so very soft and I just love the colors. I must finish a few projects but I think I am going to pick up the needles again and do something very similar to this if not this exact blanket. Its only knitting and promises to be very, very easy!

The ride home produced this motif ... using size 10 thread (instead of size 30) and a size 5 hook (instead of size 11) it produced a larger size then the 3 inch the pattern stated. Needs to be blocked and will be a nice little doily or most likely a mug doily. A bit tedious with all the single crochets but certainly whiled the time away with pretty results.

A few days in Washiongton, DC

The sites were just amazing. The ones I was most drawn to were the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Ford's Theater and The Peterson House.


Ford's Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was shot. At one time you were able to go into the box but we were not able to.















A remnant of the actual flag which was on the theater box where Lincoln sat. The coat he was wearing.








The Peterson House, where he died the following morning.


























The bed where he died. Oh I almost forgot to mention that we were there on April 14th ... 145 years to the day when President Abraham Lincoln was shot. I found it odd that we were there on the day, it wasn't planned either.

There was so much to see. The weather was perfect, the metro (buses, rails) made it very easy to get around. The Smithsonian was amazing and HUGE. So much left unseen, a place to visit again and again.