Charting Un-Charted Waters

Hello Everyone,

How has your week been? Mine has been another one of surviving. That's what I am doing right now. Just making it from one day to the next. Its all I can ask for at the moment. And I am OK with that. I am living in every moment right now. Its a new feeling, that takes some getting used to.

I am doing a lot of knitting. Its very soothing on my soul. I have finished yet another Kerchief Scarf. Its blocking right now. I have moved on to another scarf. The Nancy Pygora-Merino Lace Scarf. Its beautiful. I am working it up in a lovely Cinnamon Fire Kid Mohair fine lace weight. It will be the perfect scarf for fall. Light and airy for still warm days, but warm enough to keep the fall chill at bay. Plus it's so gorgeous it will add instant style and flair to any outfit.

The only trouble I am having is that I am in uncharted waters. I have never worked a pattern that was Charted before. Its been quite different.  I have been enjoying the challenge of learning something new. I think I am finally getting the hang of the chart.

Have a great Friday everyone! Hope you have a great weekend too!

Till Next Time,

I Heart Packages

Hello Everyone!

I have mail! I love mail and packages! I love to receive them and I love to give them! So you can imagine my delight when the other day my package arrived.  I had some splurge money set aside and I had finally decided on what I wished to spend it on. I guess it was never really a question of what I would get.

Can you guess?

You got it. It was yarn. Or at least some of it was yarn...the rest was knitting and yarn related.

I ended up with a pair of much needed fold able scissors...

 Two books  I have been dying to have...So many patterns, so little time...

I finally broke down and got my much anticipated Soak Wash. Now I just need to finish up a project so I can use this bad boy...

Then finally some yarn! In finger weight with well over 450 yards in each. What shall they become?? You will have to wait and see.

Have you sent anything special in the mail to a loved one lately? Or have you received a special package?

Till Next Time,

Stockholm

Hello Everyone!

Guess who is finally off the needles?

That would be The Stockholm Scarf! Remember this project? I gave an update on this project a while ago. I said it was gonna be done. SOON. Then I ran out of yarn. Every knitters nightmare. I miscalculated. You know what is really sad is that I only needed a little bit of yarn to finish the inch to and inch in a half that I had left to do on the project. Isn't that how it always goes? I am thinking I will make some fingerless gloves to match the scarf since I have so much of the yarn left over.

Here the Stockholm is getting a bath...and then a nice stretch out on the couch!

Here I am modeling the Stockholm.

A model I am not.

I just love how this guy turned out! He is so squishy and soft. I love that I can put it up around my head and make a hood with it and still have lots left over to keep my neck nice and warm.  This is going to be great to wear come fall and winter.  Yet another reason to look forward to fall coming(heehee).  You can find this project on Ravelry or hop over to Knitted Bliss to find the pattern. Julie is the mastermind behind this piece and she has done lovely work. Her blog is very nice as well.

Today starts the 4th event of the Bloggy Olympics, Crafts. Thus I found it appropriate to share this post with you. After all knitting is my particular craft. Head over to Hating Martha to read more about this weeks event and find out who the hosts are going to be. Have a wonderful Saturday.

Till Next Time,

Blogger's A.D.D

Hello Everyone!

How has your week been? Mine has been like a non stop flight of activity, only with out the relaxing movie or cocktails in which to enjoy my flight with. This is why I have not posted anything this week.  I feel like I have bloggers A.D.D. Is such a thing even possible?? Simply put I feel my mind wanting to go everywhere and talk about  everything.  I have new crafting projects I want to share with you. I have knitting that's been completed. There are link up parties I am attending. The list goes on and on...but now I have lost you right? What on earth is this girl rambling on about. Because that is probably what I sound like right? Like I am rambling or babbling.

I feel that about every other post I write is about something different.  While that is not a bad thing, I feel like things just do not flow very well. Thus the feeling like I have A.D.D. Can't seem to focus longer that a flea on a hot skillet.  This could be all in my head for all I know.  Hey! The title of this Blog says I'm crazy don't ya know. Well I am sorry. I do want to regain focus and be a bit more orderly with my posts, so you don't get dizzy from my constant shift in attention. (You think the posts are bad try being in my head!)

So here is a list of things I feel I need to address, to regain order.

• What happened to the 21 day challenge?
• Will I actually talk about knitting again?
• Whats up with all the home improvement posts?  Did I suddenly become a Design Diva?

Heehee. These questions I ask just as much of myself as you may be asking of me...

1. What happened to the 21 Day Challenge I was doing from A Bowl Full of Lemons?- I haven't stopped or quit the 21 Day Challenge. I didn't make the goal, however, to complete the challenge by the end of May! Life happened. There have been quite a few of our family members who have been ill.  Also since I ended up going a little out of order with the challenge(see I knew I shouldn't have done that!), I decided to roll what was left of everything on the challenge into ONE. HUGE. PROJECT!!! Its taken a while, but that's how badly it needed to be done!  Its very close to being revealed in all of its glory!  Had I been smart, I would have posted little tidbits to keep you hanging onto the edge of your seat for the big reveal!  Alas I did not. I will know better for next time. After all I am still learning how to work my mad blogging skills! Despite this little lump in the 21 Day Challenge, I have been so grateful to Toni for creating that challenge.  What I have accomplished so far is all due to her. I needed to get organized and get clutter cleared out.  And really the 21 days is just the beginning. Organizing like home development or personal style is always evolving and needing to be adjusted.  So keep on the look out there will be a few more posts yet on the 21 Day Challenge. Oops! Now that I think about it, I do believe there was a Laundry Room challenge that I failed to post about! I will have to get right on that!
2. Will I actually talk about knitting again?- This question I ask myself all the time. Especially here of late when my posts have seemed to be more about home improvement, decorating, and gardening instead of what I had originally said I wanted to Blog about (Here) in my very first post.  Why is that?  I have wondered.  Its not like I have lost an interest in knitting, far from it. And I have finished projects in which to share, new patterns I am excited about. So what's the deal? Upon reflection, I think the problem has stemmed from what my initial ideal for what my blog would be when I started(I am willing to bet all the chocolate in my house, that this is something that happens to all new bloggers). When I thought about and decided to start this blog, I had this vision that it would be very much like Susan B Anderson's Blog, or like the Yarn Harlot. I have admired their work ever since I became a knitter and very much wanted to be like them. I AM NOT THEM. Admitting to this helps clear up a lot of that illusion that I had. First off they have been at this for a while, so they are PROS and know what they are doing. I am like an infant to them. Also they have the wonderful privilege of getting to do what they LOVE for their employment! Along with that privilege comes a lot of responsibility of course but they do it with style! I DO NOT get to do knitting or any other crafting for a living. I still have to go out there and work for an employer, then come home and take care of the responsibilities of a wife and homemaker. So its like working two full time jobs. Not to say that Stephanie and Susan don't have these same responsibilities and then some because they do what they love for work. Just that it is a little different. Someday I dream of being able to make a living at my craft, but for now it is my stress relief and hobby.  Now that I have admitted and realized what I had originally in mind for my blog, I can see that I was starting out to high! I think a part of me knew that from the beginning, that's how the Blog got its name from the beginning. I love doing crafts and trying to new things. That's what I want to write about and share with you. The new things that I try, my success, my failure and everything in between. There will be plenty of writing on yarn and knitting, it just wont be that way everyday.
3.  Whats up with all the home improvement posts?  Did I suddenly become a Design Diva?- In no way am I a Design Diva! However I do love design and making my home something to be proud of.  I have been a fan of Better Homes and Gardens since I was 7!  I always knew, just like I knew I wanted to get married, that I wanted my own home to make beautiful! So it is only natural that I would want to talk about it. Especially since there are sooo many great design blogs out there, plus with Pinterest, the ideas are never ending for what one can do in your home! And your style and tastes are always changing. Plus you get an idea in your head for something but when it actually gets put into action, it doesn't turn out so good. So you have to start over. And since a lot of what is in my home is actually the result of some craft I have done(a shoe string budget would have something to do with that), the two just seem to go hand in hand.

 Whew! That was a lot to cover, sorry for the novel length post here(hopefully I am keeping it snappy enough I have not lost you! Hey you! Ya you! Quit that yawning!).  I hope my answers to those questions helped clear things up, and if it didn't clear things up for you it did for me. So you just got to be privy to the inner ramblings of my mind! Aren't you just lucky?! Now that I have given you a look into my mind and what all is going on up there, what IS next for Crazy, Crafty & Caffeinated?  What do we have to look forward to?

Its summer! And summer means fun and lots of goings on! One thing I am looking forward to doing is the Bloggy Olympics created by Janel at Hating Martha. I am so excited. Hating Martha has been running decorating posts all week with some great hosts for the first event that starts off the Bloggy Olympics. Friday is the link up and I look forward to sharing my own projects, plus checking out what everyone else has been doing. The next few weeks will primarily  be dedicated to the Bloggy Olympics!

I hope to see more updates on the yard and how its coming along. After all this is the season to be getting that done!  There will be a Blog Makeover coming very soon. I am learning more and more everyday about the blogging world and well I need to reflect that. Speaking of a Blog Makeover I want your opinion...What do you like about my blog? What don't you like? What would you like to see more of or to hear more about?  Your comments and ideas can only help improve me! So lay it on me!

One last note, I want to thank my readers for staying with me thus far. Have a Wonderful Wednesday everyone!

Till Next Time,
Amanda

Just a Little Excited!!

Hello Everyone!

I am just a little excited. Just. A. Little. What has me as excited as I would be about seeing a marching band full of monkey's?  That would be this beauty right below!

You are probably sitting there wondering if I have truly lost my marbles! OK its a picture of fingerless gloves, yarn and nail polish, you are thinking. What is she raving about? I am ecstatic about what Soak Wash has just released!

Soak Box

Introducing the SOAKBOX! There are four different boxes. Lace Kelly, Clark Cable, Double Pointe Pink, and Cuff au Lait. The box includes a 3oz bottle of soakwash, special hand lotion scented to match the wash, nail polish and a skein of yarn dyed to match the nail polish, along with a pattern for fingerless gloves to match! Is this a great box set or what?? Are you beginning to feel the fever of excitement? Are your fingers twitching to get a hold of this box? I know mine are! I can't even decide which one I like best! I believe I am going to have to order all of them! They are available to order on their website(just click the link below the photo), however it will not be shipped out till June. But that is not that far away! Or just walk into your local yarn store and ask for the box by name!  I do not believe I have ever looked forward to June coming as much as I am right now!  In fact I think this box has just cured my little knitting slump. I mentioned it here a few posts back.

This box is brilliant! I agree with the gang at SoakWash that these boxes are here to stay for long while! I already have a list a mile long of all the friends I want to get this box for, seeing as how it is the perfect present for any knitter! Is there anything you have just discovered that has you drooling?  Have a great time drooling over this box and have a great weekend!

Till Next Time,
Amanda

A Knitting Note

This is what I woke up to this morning.

I received a concerned letter. Here is what it says...
          
 Dearest Amanda,
         We know you have been quiet busy with home organization and work. And don't get us wrong the place is looking great! The craft room especially. We love that we will be having our very own room to hang out in. But frankly we have not been feeling the love here lately. We are concerned about your creative knitting spark. You used to hold us close and tight. We would hear your shouts of glee over a new yarn or pattern, but they are distant whispers now. Please come back to us!
Signed Yarn and Needles

Then while I was in the craft room checking things over I saw this.

I scrambled back to the kitchen. Clearly my mind was playing tricks on me and I needed some strong coffee to snap me out of this. Despite the strong coffee I still saw what my yarn was thinking. OK. This. is. serious.  I mean I know I have been a bit preoccupied of late with all things house related, but I didn't think it was that bad. However may Yarn and Needles is right. Could I be losing my spark? Just last night I had this strong desire to cast on a new project. Yet no new project came to mind. I could not think of a single pattern that just grabbed me and sucked me right in.  But I can't be losing my spark. Knitters don't do that. Not knitters that fell as hard as I did for knitting.  Its just a slump. Or the results of an over crowded mind that makes it look like I have lost my spark for knitting.

So Yarn and Needles, hang in there. I am coming back I promise!

Till Next Time,

Amanda

Coffee, Knitting and Everything Else In Between

Hello Everyone!

Hope your weekend is coming to a pleasant end. I just returned home from my little trip out of town and I wanted to pop by here and tell you all hello!  Now comes the task of unpacking and putting everything away. I sorta don't want to. But that would be counter-intuitive of the challenge I am doing this month to get more organized.

I had a wonderful time seeing my family and friends. I even made a few new friends on the way. It was too short of a visit, but then again when does a visit ever feel long enough, especially when it comes to seeing loved ones? Some days I hate that I live so far from family. However it does make me appreciate our time together that much more!

While visiting there was some time for coffee and knitting.

I love this mug my sister has!!! Its absolutely perfect. Then I had to take a little walk downtown and visit some of the quaint shops I have not been too in a long while.

 Its a small town so getting to downtown takes about two minuets! I stopped and got some pizza from the local pizza place. I love their cheesy gooey pizza!

My sis gave me the best gift ever! Some of her yarn stash and one of her knitting books! I died and went to heaven! That is love right there! Not to just give me yarn because she knows I am totally fiber obsessed, but to have given it to me from her own knitterly stash. That means something!  Mom happened to have the green paint I have been looking for to do one of my projects that she let me bring home with me, along with some seeds for flowers to put in my yard, so that is some future projects I will be talking about here very soon.  Not to mention there is going to be a little house tour and review, so check back for that!

My weekend has been very full and very fulfilling. Family and Friends are well. The service for the dear Friend that is no longer with us was beautiful. I am happy. Have a wonderful rest of the night. I am looking forward to getting back to my organize challenge starting tomorrow!

Till Next Time,

 Amanda

Finally...

I know it seems kinda late to be posting, but I couldn't wait to share this with you. After two or more years and much stop and go, I can finally announce that the Cable and Lace Scarf is finished!

This scarf was so tedious in the beginning, but it got easier as time went on. There were 24 rows to repeat over and over. Thus the tedious part. So it was easy to become enamored with  another project. Which happened a lot. I believe in the course of this scarf, I have finished, four baby hats, three scarves, a shrug, a hat, a pair of leggings, and two cowel's. Not to mention little stuffed toys. And yet despite the tedious nature of this scarf, I love it! I love it's intricate lace pattern and the cable up the side.

Getting a bath!

Taking a stretch on the couch

Being blocked

I love it so much I want to cast it on again! I just hope not to take two years to finish making the next one! In reality it only took me three months, if that, to make this scarf. If you add up the actual time I sat working on it and not the time it spent sitting in my basket, looking forlorn and wondering if I would ever return. The bulk of this scarf was done while waiting in the hospital. Last summer my father in-law became very ill. He had been ill for some time but it had climaxed and he landed himself in the hospital in need of emergency surgery. At the time Dear Husband and I lived 8 hours away. As soon as we heard what had happened we jumped in the car and away we went.  That was 8 hours with nothing else to do but worry and knit. And the knitting helped keep the big worry at bay. Then there was the hospital. There was waiting, and knitting, more waiting and more knitting.  This was the perfect scarf to work on really because it required focus, which helped take my mind off of all that was going on at the time and what changes Dear Husband and I were about to have to go through. Then of course when those potential changes became reality, well then I needed something  that took less concentration to work on. I needed easy, simple and fast. Something I could see the progress on right away and feel the accomplishment of finishing a project. So then, yet again, Cables and Lace got pushed to the back burner. But not now! Now it is finished! 

Wow there is quite a story with that scarf. And here I thought I was just going to show you pictures of the finishing steps and call it good. I guess some things are not that simple. What about you do you have any projects that have much bigger story to them than you thought they would? That just started out as another project but grew into something more?  

Despite the personal story that scarf became involved in for me, it will be getting shipped off this week to its new home with my friend. I promised it to her back when I first started it. Thank goodness she was not in a big hurry to receive it! Well at least now it will be like a surprise for her. She wouldn't be expecting a scarf now!  

Till next time,

Amanda

About time!

Good Morning,

I have finally gotten around to getting pictures of the finished Tam hat! It's about time, it only took me long enough right? It was a perfect overcast day in which to take pictures yesterday. So I called my friend AnnE up and begged her to come be my model. I think she did a great job.

 I love how the striping turned out. I wasn't too sure of it at first. But I think it came out lovely. Dear Husband says it look like a sailors hat.

 Here is a better view of the back. I really think that is my favorite part! So thank you AnnE for helping me out by modeling my hat!

  There you have it. A completed project. And guess who is also almost finished?? The Cable and Lace Scarf! See look at how little I have left to do!

   It just needs the finishing border, to be bound off and a light blocking and then, wa-la! Its done!  Have a wonderful Friday everyone.

Till next time,
Amanda

A Wonderful Afternoon

Its a beautiful afternoon. To wonderful not to enjoy some time out side in it!! So I packed up the Cable and Lace scarf and outside we went.
Our journey brought me to a picnic table near a small lake. Its a very peaceful place. Almost makes me feel like I am all alone. There are a few ducks that paddle close by filling the air with their chatter. The sun is hitting me just right that I appreciate its rays while a light breeze helps keep me cool. I feel calm and relaxed. Which is a nice feeling compared to the hurried pace I have been going at.
I am going to go back to enjoying my peace before I must enter reality again. I just wanted to share with you what a wonderful afternoon I was having and some pictures I couldn't help snapping. Hope your Saturday has been nice and relaxing.
Till next time,
Amanda

You Know You Are a Crazy Knitter When...

1. Just walking into the Yarn Store and seeing all those vibrant colors and yarn fumes helps calm you down after a stressful day(beer? who needs beer? I have Yarn!)
2. You watch movies only to see the knitted items a character is wearing!
3. You watch a movie and then rewind a pause the same spot over and over again trying to figure out the pattern on that cute hat the actress is wearing(I am guilty of this with the movie Life as we Know it. Admit it the hat Katherine Heigl is wearing for about a min in that one scene is adorable)
4. You have stalked some one in the store because you like the hat/scarf/mittens they are wearing
5. You have to take at lest three projects with you anywhere, because you never know what you may want to knit. Like its, OK to knit the scarf in the car, but the small baby hat is more suited for walking around the mall with or in the book store. I am this bad about books too! That is why Dear Husband bought me a nook, to help my poor back from breaking from the weight of it all!
6.  You watch movies because some one is knitting in one of the scenes! 

Friday Freebies

Ah Friday is upon us. I have made progress on Stockholm here, but as you can tell I am not quite ready to take it off the needles yet! Shucks I was hoping to have it done by now! Oh well I am almost there. It will not be much longer especially if I concentrate and get some good knitting time in tonight! Maybe I will sit and watch the long version of Pride and Prejudice, with Colin Firth in it. That would help.

Any way here we are at Friday. It's a beautiful morning! How is the weather where you are? There is a slight nip in the air making it a perfect day to wear a hat!  Today is the last day of work, for most of us anyway and I know I am looking forward to the weekend. Anyone else have plans for the weekend they are looking forward to doing?

 I wanted to celebrate the end of the week with something then it dawned on me, what better way to celebrate TGIF than with some lovely free knitting patterns! I am crazy about hats right now! I have one tam sitting on my needles begging me to come knit it up quick so I can wear it! And I am itching to do more. I was digging thru Ravelry last night looking for some cute inspiring hats, and its no surprise I found some! Here are a few that I picked out that I can't wait to do and wanted to share them with you! Just click on the name and it will take you directly to Ravelry where you can download the pattern absolutely free! I threw in one from Craftys too.

Slouchy Hat with Picot edging  I love slouchy hats and the picot edging on here is lovely. When I saw this I thought of my friend Eliza! I just know she would love this hat! She would look adorable in it! Now the only question is who will make it? Shall I make it for her, or will she beat me to it and cast it on for herself?

Lotus Hat This design is beautiful. I love intricate details!

Hinagiku Hat Another slouchy hat! I am not in love with them by any means!

Ribbed Baby Hat I had to throw in a baby hat for fun!  Because who doesn't love making hats for little babies heads?

Berry Baby Hat Ok I lied I had to add one more! Isn't this hat just adorable? I am seriously thinking I should make this bigger for me! That wouldn't look to silly to see a berry hat on a grown woman would it?

16 sixteen cable hat Oh my hands are really itching to do this hat! I love the cables. They are different than most cables I have done!

Yellow Scalloped Hat from Craftsy. Finally the last hat! This looks like something I would wear down at the beach while visiting my family in California!
Hope these patterns spark some inspiration for you all! Have a wonderful day and a great weekend!

Till Next Time,
Amanda