Thankful Thursdays starting in August...

     If you know me personally then you know that I have struggled for years with a horrible anxiety/panic disorder. As a child I was what was considered back then as "shy"-painfully shy. I remember hiding behind my moms legs whenever we came in contact with someone new. I remember trying everything I could do as a teenager to be invisible-in fact, my only goal as a teenager was to be invisible as much as possible. As an adult my acute shyness has not disappeared but has morphed into an anxiety/panic disorder. I have learned more effective coping skills for my anxiety than the highly unlikely chance of becoming invisible-barring some industrial accident that is! The funny thing about my disorder is that if you know me, are in my select circle of family and friends, you can easily forget that I suffer from it everyday. I am loud, outspoken, well-spoken, educated, semi-intelligent, funny, and generous. When I am with people in my comfort zone (family mostly but a couple of friends as well) it is easy to overlook that I am battling terror on a regular basis, that I have an over-inflated sense of flight or fight responses, or that I have difficulty being as "normal" as regular people. Certain "normal" aspects of other people's lives terrify me-meeting new people, having unrehearsed, unsolicited conversations with strangers, stepping away from my regular routine, and any changes with my "comfort zones" (home and families houses) without adequate time to adjust will leave me reeling-I literally shut down. I am sharing all this information because I think it is time for me to look for the positive aspects in my life instead of dwelling on my anxiety/panic disorder and how to not activate the fear I have.
     Starting in August I will begin a new segment in my blog called Thankful Thursdays. Every Thursday I will list my blessings and anything positive that has occurred in my life. My goal is to have a written record of the blessings I have in my life on a daily basis (a summary will be posted on Thursdays but will be a cumulative list from the week!) so that when times get bad (and they will) I can look back on something positive. Sometimes I will post pictures as well so that I will have a visual record.
     I know I do not have a lot of readers on this blog and that is okay...I am not writing this for anyone but me; however, if you like it that is just icing on the cake! I will continue to add knitting posts, family posts, and other stuff that happens in my life on here so do not worry...stay tuned for my first Thankful Thursday...
   

I am on Instagram now too!!!

   
Check out my new badge on the right!
I am now on Instagram! I want to thank Emmy166 on Ravelry.com for walking me through how to add a badge onto my blog!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I think this is going to make it so much easier to add pictures to my blog. Also I have started a blog on wordpress.com under the same name as this blog. The new blog will be similar to this one and will link to my Instagram, FB, and Twitter...now that I have finished my Master's degree (YAY! Finished on 7/1/2013 with a 3.61 GPA! So proud of myself!) I have a lot more time on my hands to update my blog and increase my Internet presence.

Thank you so much for sticking with me, readers and family, as I neglected my blog for studies but I am back now and will be posting on a regular basis!

Pinwheel blanket

I am trying to expand my knitting so I have learned how to make socks (ONE PATTERN DOES COUNT!), how to use a chart, and how to use crocheting in my knitting (edges DO count!). Another thing I wanted to accomplish is learning how to knit a circle. I found a pinwheel blanket pattern on Ravelry.com and bought the perfect yarn: a giant cone of Peaches and Creme yarn. Making the blanket was not as bad as I though and there is only one or two mistakes in my blanket (NOT THE PATTERN!). I had fun making it and even though it does not have an owner, yet, I still love how it looks and feels.

close-up of color

Look closely...do you see the mistake?

Carmen's doll

   

My great-niece, Carmen (her pics dot this blog!) turned 8 years old in March. For her birthday I bought her a doll that looks like her and is kind of an American Girl-type doll. As soon as I gave her the doll she changed her hair style and the doll now sleeps with her every night. As a knitter I could not simply go to a store and buy her an outfit that all little girls have access to! Knitters are unique! So I set out to make Carmen's doll a handmade outfit. I scoured the Internet and looked all over Ravelry.com but nothing really jumped out at me. Most outfits are too winter-y or odd colored or bulky. I wanted to make her a cute little summer-y outfit. So using several different patterns for sizing and fit I made Carmen a 3 piece outfit: panties, tank top, and mini-skirt. The doll in the picture IS NOT Carmen's doll but is my model (my niece, Kirsten's American Girl-type doll who I still owe an outfit to because she let me borrow her!)

3 piece outfit-the panties were thongs until I crocheted a nice little edge on them!

NOT Carmen's doll but my clothes model

Socks for my sister!

I have learned how to make socks BUT can only figure out how to knit them using one pattern...Incredibly Easy Socks (can be found on Ravelry.com). However, socks there are so many different types and colors of  yarn that I really do not mind only being able to master one sock pattern. My sister is fully addicted to my handmade socks and I have to say that she owns every pair I have ever made (all 3 of them!) The pair I call Opposite Socks were made using sock yarn purchased at Joann's for 97 cents, I think it is Patons. I call them Opposite Socks because the way that the colors changed for each sock-almost a mirror of each other. The next socks I call Pink Summer Socks because the yarn is thin and perfect for cool evenings in the summer. I bought the yarn from Big Lots for 80 cents!! I am working on sock 2 now!!!

Here are some pictures of my latest socks:

Opposite Socks!!!! Made with 97 cent sock yarn-Patons

See my ladybug row counter? Pink Summer Socks

I turned the HEEL!

Obligatory foot and half finished sock picture

Yes, I see the laddering! LOL! Pink Summer Socks

See? It all worked out!!!!

These hats may not be appropriate for children (no NUDITY!)...but I think they are awesome!

Here are some more projects I have been working on! I am trying to teach myself how to use charts as well as create simple charts. I figured a simple hat pattern would be the best and I stumbled upon the Weed Chart on Ravelry.com and thought I would try it out. The first nine pictures are made from the Weed Chart using Red Heart yarn. The second hat is my own chart that I generated using a free chart generator. It is made with a really super soft black yarn (no label) and the green is Red Heart. I learned a lot by making the same design. How to do floats, how to follow the chart, and how to hold my tension.
Warning: my hat may not be appropriate for children!

The hand is my 4 yr old great-niece-HELPING

This is my new FOAM HAT HEAD

This is so much fun!

The stem is a little WONKY

Getting closer to the end

The bottom leaves are a little weird

Really HUGE finished hat!

Close-up of WONKY stem-my fault not pattern

Side view! Look how long!!!

MY OWN DESIGN-love rolled brim

MY OWN DESIGN-LOVE IT

OK so I messed up a little but it so GREAT!

Baby Boom

Sorry, once again, it has been awhile since I last posted but I have been extremely busy. I am in the last stretch of my Master's degree (3.6 GPA!!!) and have been knitting in between class, papers, and finals. My family has had a BABY BOOM since I last posted. My niece, Leesa (and her husband, Richard) welcomed a baby boy, Marvin Richard, in May. My niece, Lena (and her husband, T-no really that is his name!) welcomed a baby boy, Tyler Wade, on June 13th. My niece, Aulbrie (and her boyfriend, Ryan) are due to have a baby boy in August/September. And my niece, Jessica, is due to have a LITTLE GIRL (FINALLY A GIRL! LOL!) in October/November. SO I have been doing A LOT of baby knitting!! In between knitting for babies being born IN the family, I have also knit a blanket for my nephew-in-law's sister. Do I have to explain Southern families convoluted relations here? They are extremely twisty, confusing, and MIND-BOGGLING! It helps to read them slowly to understand them! LOL! Also I have been knitting socks, practicing how to use charts (still shaky on them), and whatever little projects I can fit in between. SIT BACK and ENJOY the pictures!!!

Leesa's baby set

Leesa's Baby set-close-up of bootie

Leesa's Baby Set-far shot

Close-up of Lena's sailboat baby blanket

Ashley's blanket

Ashley's Blanket getting crochet edge

 Ashley's blanket--close-up of crochet edge

Ashley's Blanket stripes

Ashley's Blanket