Currently...Shopping, Stitching, Pouring and Other Stuff

Hat shopping. I love hats. You can check out my Hats Hats Hats Pinterest page and see that I believe in the bigger and brighter, the better. Through the winter, I probably wear a hat almost every day – nice, bright felt and wool hats, ostensibly because it’s cold, but we know better.  Now – we’ve reached spring hat season, which, of course, kicks off with Easter Sunday.  Then, for me, it’s my sorority’s fashion show luncheon that funds our scholarship fund. It’s ladies who lunch – wearing hats and so much fun.  And then – to the races!  I’m returning to the Virginia Gold Cup this year with my girlfriends, so hat shopping is in a frenzy because now we’re really talking about a Hat (with a capital H, yes.)

Sighing over celebrities who try to act like they are regular folk. Did you hear, Gwyneth Paltrow tried to promote the SNAP program by committing to eating on $29 a week? Yes, read that sentence again. Millionaire actress was going to try to feed herself on food-stamp program budget.  Really? That’s probably what she spends on coffee and a doughnut (because, I’m sure she eats chocolate dipped doughnuts with her coffee, while doing her oh-so-hard job.) She quit by day four.  Message: this is hard, let me stop pretending I’m poor and find an easier cause to uphold.

Picking out my next crochet or knit project. Right now, I’m working on baby blankets for my boom of pregnant friends. I need something for myself, though.  What I’d really like is one of those long long sweaters (dusters, I think they’re called) or maybe a bright summer shawl.  I’m trying not to buy any more yarn and dig through my stash (go ahead and laugh fellow yarn-lovers), but we’ll see. I need something by the time I leave for my sorority convention, because you know I crochet during any long meeting that I can get away with it.

Still researching drivers’ ed. Actually, I haven’t really started other than asking other parents which drivers’ ed their kid is going to because I’m a bit in denial that my kid is old enough to start driving. I took her out and let her drive around the school parking lot the other day. I can’t get her into drivers’ ed soon enough.

Enjoying pineapple vodka and rum.  A couple weeks back we had a luau-themed shindig and had a bunch of pineapples. We could not eat them all and I had to think of something to do with them. So what do you do when life gives you a bunch of pineapples? Slice them, put them in bottles and pour vodka and rum (in separate bottles) over them.  Close, let sit for at least a day, then enjoy in your favorite cocktails.  Keep away from the children.

Enjoying 100,000! Thank you for reading - our little blog has hit over 100,000 views!

Have a good week folks! Keep Piddlin’!

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And I'm Bringing My Yarn With Me

My husband calls it an addiction. I call it my hands get bored and my mind wanders.  Folks have seen me at sorority conferences, PTA meetings, family gatherings, swim meets, basketball games, school plays, on an airplane and train, waiting for a kid somewhere.  I bring my yarn and will crochet or knit during those hours of sitting still.

Have yarn, will travel. What shall I make next?

I take small on-the-go projects, a pair of gloves, a hat, a scarf, that have a simple pattern so I don't have to keep referring to patterns for meetings or an activity where I need to be paying attention and possibly taking notes.  I save my bigger or more complicated projects, a blanket or a sweater, for sporting events and hanging out with the family, activities that do not require my undivided, undistracted attention.

And I know I'm not the only one.  I've watched one woman work on a beautiful afghan at our PTA meetings.  There's scarves being made in sorority meetings.  At the swim meets, the moms are working on blankets while the kids are in the pool.  And surely, any yarn-y worth their skeins packs up their hooks and needles for an evening or weekend hanging out with the family for the holidays.

On Ravelry (if you crochet or knit, you are on Ravelry, right? Find me as "love2crochet"), there are discussions where folks have noted that their family members actually get upset when they stitch "in public." Really? They say it's distracting and/or rude.

But what about the guy playing Angry Birds or whatever's the newest phone game app or her over there clicking through Facebook?  Or the kids lined up in a row with the headphones on and texting other kids, presumably with headphones on also not talking to the people in their room?  Nobody's bothered by that, but my yarn bothers you? I can still carry on a conversation and make eye contact with you while I'm stitching.  The guys are transfixed watching the game and I'm supposed to what, sit and watch them?

I've got a stash of yarn, a list of projects to do, and my to-go kit for my hooks and needles.  I'm always ready for sitting around somewhere for hours. AND I will have a new pair of gloves by the time the evening's over.

Do you stitch while at family gatherings? Or some other crafty activity?

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(Knit) Crochet in Public Week

Did you know that this week is Knit (or Crochet) in Public Week - the 2nd Saturday to the 3rd Sunday annually?  (Its officially knitting, but some have allowed crocheters to join in, thanks.)  I saw this on some other website, probably FaceBook or Ravelry, and was surprised.  I mean, I crochet in public everyday, doesn't everybody?

At the Mystics basketball game - foundation and first few rows

According to the KIP website, the purpose of the week is to encourage knitters to get out of their house and meet each other and build community.  For me, its a matter of using my sitting around, waiting time to actually get anything done.  I crochet while I'm in the school pick-up line, waiting at somebody's practice, sitting in the doctor/dentist/orthodontist office [here's some mom math for you - 4 kids x (health and sick visits + 2 sets of braces + 1 retainer + regular cleaning + flourides + sealants) = lots of office waiting].  I also crochet when I have to sit somewhere quietly - PTA meetings, sorority meetings - and when I visit with friends for breakfast or bookclub.  But not in church - I do have my limits.  And I definitely crochet when I have to ride for a long time in the car, like the 25 minutes to my parents' house.  Sometimes I wish I had a job that I had to ride the Metro to because I bet I could get a lot of reading or crochet done on my commute.

On the Metro - couple more rows

Most of these places, I crochet because its not conducive or appropriate to read, my other favorite waiting around activity.  For instance meetings - you're supposed to be paying attention to what's going on, maybe even taking notes.  I can do this with hook and yarn in hand, but not the latest Toni Morrison.  Sometimes people look at me funny or even question me, "are you going to do that now in this meeting?"  And I just respond, "are you going to be checking FB and playing Words with Friends?" At least I will have a sweater by the time we're done.

Have to be quiet at tennis matches.

This crochet in public thing does take some planning, you can't just decide you're taking your crochet with you out into the world.

• I have to make sure its a simple, easily memorized or repetitive pattern.  Its one thing to casually go about hooking yarn, its another to have a pattern laid out that you have to constantly refer to, so I can do a simple fan pattern, but a complicated cable has to stay home.

• The project also can't be too busy as far as yarn; generally I take projects that I can work from one skein of yarn at a time, not something with three or four different colors, all striped together.

• Size doesn't matter (not in this case, anyway) - I've worked on socks, scarves, sweaters, blankets, hats, it just has to be easily transportable and follow the aforementioned guidelines.

• And then I need a cute project bag and hook case to carry it around in.

See - not as simple as it may seem.

My project bag

A repurposed jewelry roll = perfect hook case

These photos are of my progress on a new shrug, crocheted in public just this weekend.  Tonight, I'll continue working on my shrug during my daughters elementary promotion ceremony (I hope they don't turn the lights down, that really makes it harder).  Between play rehearsals (4) and basketball games (2) this week, I should be done by Friday.

What are you working on in public?