In Which....

...I get a bit weird.

I want to make this afghan, or one very close to it.

Most people now would look at that and say "it looks like the bus from that old TV show The Partridge Family!"

Well, it's not just a case of bright, bold colors and strong geometric patterns....time for an art history lesson!

This art style comes from the neo-plasticism movement, which originated with a Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)...

 

Apache Tears Pattern

I FINALLY got the hang of this pattern! Something about it really foxed me for the longest time, but I'm getting much better at it. I know my left edge isn't perfect, but that can be ironed out later. I'm kinda tired right now so I might be missing a stitch at the end of the row or whatever. No big deal; it's just a test swatch so I'll know to look closer at that next time.

Quick Update

I'm working on a little project right now, a Tunisian honeycomb scarf, and I'll post a photo as soon as I get one. But first, I want to make a note here that my heart goes out to Clare of bobwilson123; her lovely crochet videos are part of how I've learned anything of crochet at all. She posted this on her blog, and it's really not good news at all.

I don't know if she believes in God or not...but I hope she and her dad can find comfort as they walk through this difficult time together.

Stitches & Patterns

Chances are, I will get tossed out of a certain Facebook crochet group (the admins of which are known to be ridiculously loose with the ban-hammer) for this, BUT this is why I have a BLOG wherein I can write anything I want, post it on my own social media pages like my own FB, G+, Twitter and Ello accounts, and people can STILL read what I have to say here. 

 

And it's very simple: there's a difference between a "stitch" and a "pattern."

 

 

Purple Ruffle Purse

Naztazia made a tutorial video (click the link) that I found for a ruffle purse, so I had to go get some yarns to make this. I like the way it's turning out so far.

What I want to do is attach clear acrylic circle handles to the purse; I'm not sure how to do that. Hmmm....

EDIT - Here is the finished bag:

Checkerboard Afghan

Two photos of a checkerboard afghan I'm working on. I've run out of the multicolor yarn; later this week I'll go to Michael's and get a couple more skeins. It's their Craft Smart yarn in Sangria colorway. I decided to photograph this on the back of my car to show the width of the afghan. I think this will look kinda cool when I'm done. :)

I got the pattern from this video:

Memorial Day Weekend

This is the weekend when we here in the USA are supposed to remember those who fell in serving our country. Most people regard it as a three-day weekend (we get Monday off of work, most of the time with pay) and the official beginning of summer.

Me, I'm wearing this poppy pin I made:

This is the WWI era poem that started the poppy tradition (written by Canadian physician Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, 1915):

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Joe's Afghan

At last it's complete! Took me about 7 months to finish, but here it is. All I need do is sew in the edges. Yay!!

Tropical Stripes C2C

JAYSUS, I had no idea this blanket was such an EYE BURNER until I took this picture in the sunlight today! WOW!

Well, I'm going to keep on with it. Many people have said they love this one.

White Rose of York

I made this brooch to wear this week in respect for King Richard III, who, over 500 years ago, was the last English king to die on the battlefield.

His bones, once believed lost, were recently found underneath a parking lot. Today he is being re-buried in Leicester Cathedral with proper ceremony and prayers.

There are those who say his remains should have been returned to York. I can understand how they feel, and to some level I agree. It would have been very nice to see him rest, at last, in York. But on the other hand, he was a Christian (Catholic) and any consecrated ground would be appropriate. Beyond that, since Psalm 24 says all the earth is the Lord's, then that kind of renders the whole discussion moot anyway.

But there we have it - my white rose of York brooch.