Back to the Swedish Weave

Well, I am going to try and finish up my Swedish Woven Afghan for another gift if I can. If not, Well there is always next Christmas. I am not going to stress out about it as its not worth it to stress myself out about anything. After all, When has getting stressed out EVER helped anything??? Its hard on your nerves and your body too. One day at a time and don't try to rush into the next. Just make the best of every day. That is why GOD gave us 24 hours. Time to rest, and time to play, time to work and cherish what we have.

 I am sitting here watching The Golden Compass. I love this movie and I love the Polar Bears.

I am also working on a Crocheted Popcorn hat. I have been searching for so long to find the pattern and finally found it yesterday so I downloaded it. I will show you when its done.
Hope you all have a great Christmas season and remember to keep the Christ in Christmas. That is what it is all about anyway, right??

Well I finally finished it

I guess I may be too critical but I am not happy with the way that my Santa turned out.
I wish I would have spent more time on the finish work but it is done now and I will do better next time.
I think it still is a nice welcome mat to hand on the door though. I am still learning.

I do hope that my dear friend will like it because it will be hanging on her door as it is her Christmas gift from me.

My newest WIP

I am currently working on a Santa riding a sheep and have a reindeer and welcome piece up and coming. I am STILL looking for some white wool in my price range. I keep checking the goodwill and thrift stores as that price range is right up my alley. Yes I am among the many that are suffering due to economy so I do with what I have or what I can find at a good price. Nothing wrong with that in my book. Hehe.
Here is the progress of Santa. I hope to finish him this week as I need to do a rush job on the reindeer. May not complete the welcome piece this year but that one was for me so thats okay.

So hows that for a succession of WIP heheh. I contemplated changing the color of Santa's toy bag  just to make it more visible but have decided that time is of essence and I need to just keep going. It is okay I think. Next pic will be of the completed rug. Don't you  just love hooking. I do, but my hands sure do take a beating on the frame from the gripping wires. I have to make sure that I don't bleed on the cloth. heheh
I made a couple of changes and finished up the sheep's hat.

Just a few more changes. A red nose for Santa's Ram and some nicer eyes. Okay, Now I am working on the background and since I have no white or cream I have chosen to do a winter sky of light grey and one a shade darker. Still being new to rug hooking I hope that this is the right way of doing this

Okay, I think that's all the changes, I need to finish this piece so I can get on with the reindeer for my friends daughter who is also my friend.

It is so nice to have such great friend to make things for.

Rug hooking for Christmas

I love it but I am in need of some linen or monks cloth. Going to have to get online and do some ordering I guess. I am using some good burlap for two of the projects but they will be wall hangings so I done't have to worry about wear and tear on the backing. I sketched these myself but got some ideas from Dept 56 Krinkles for the reindeer. I don't recall where I saw the Santa but it was on the images for reindeer.

So far so good. My sweet little 100+lb lap puppy wants me to stop though. She keeps dropping her toys on my lap frame.

I just finished a penny rug of a moose but I can't believe that I gave it to her before I took a finished picture. Duh... but this is close to how the finished rug looked

I have also been making some cute crocheted pine cones. Once you add a bell and a little felt cap along with a nice Christmas ribbon you have an awesome Christmas door decoration.
I found the free pine cone pattern online http://planetmfiles.com/2008/12/18/free-crochet-pine-cone-pattern/
They are so easy but it works best if you use a heavy not too soft yarn. One with a bit of roughage so to speak.  You will find out if you try the softer and thinner yarns that they just don't have the humph that the heavy weight yarns give them.

New candle mat

I just finished this one this morning. Now on to my next project. I think I may do a little tweeking to the little angels on the tree. They need a little something more.

This is how it looks now since I tweeked the angels a little

One down and one to go

I just finished the first of my kitchen curtains. I still have one valance to go.

I am doing the valances like a penny rug. The variations in the placements is intentional .  I think I like em. How bout you?
The other valance will have 5 tabs vs the 4 on this one.
Ahhh... finally done. I love the way they turned out but sure was a lot of work. I went ahead and added a bit of a shear to the valance for just a bit of privacy.  I am contemplating painting my kitchen the color of the background of this picture. It seems to go so well and I love the colors together. 

Little Christmas Reindeer

I bought one of these as a pattern this weekend and the other is the one I made.
Guess which is which. Oh darn I forgot to take the tag off. hehe

I plan on doing a little tweeking around the antlers and scarf but I think they are pretty cute. I want to make about a dozen or so for a craft fair  in November.  Do you see the crow. It is more of a Halloween gift for a friend. She loves crows as do many of us.

Its Done

YEA! another project completed. Now what am I going to make. heheh
Its that ole OCCD ( obsessive compulsive Crafters disease ) striking me again.

Here is the Witches Hat that I hooked. It comes from a  pattern in the October 2011 issue of Create and Decorate magazine. I added the date of the Salem Witch trails on the side.

Hum.... what to do next.

Its Done

Yea, I just finished up my Penny Rug this morning. I think it turned out great and I am happy with the results.
Now if the wool will just get here so I can finish up the witches hat I will be a truly happy camper. I will have finished two projects. WOO HOO! ! !

Here is my Fall rug along with a gathering of crows in the back yard finishing up some Delicata squash that I gave them.
It is great squash and they are lucky we saved them the rind. It was good right up to the skin. The meat of the Delicata squash is sweet and flavorful. I stuff it with butter , cardamon, brown sugar and a little honey. Bake until tender and YUM! best squash ever.
One of the great things I love about Fall.

My Halloween Penny Rug WIP

Yes, another WIP. It should be done in a couple of days. I am working on this while I am waiting for the wool to finish my witches hat.
I still need to finish sewing around the other crow and attach the tongues and backing. I will post that picture when I am done.
I can't stand not to be doing something while I am waiting for the light colored wool.

Update of witches hat and some bad news

Good news is that it is coming along just great. I have had to resort to using some good wool for the background as I just don't have enough wool in the right color to do it the way I want it  so Yarn will have to do this time.
Now the bad news is that old OCCD is kicking up again. I just saw this picture and can't wait to get this finished so I can get this one going. I want to do a Halloween rug hook of this picture for myself. I think it would look great, hanging on the front door.

   Don't you love this picture. Its not mine but I think it will make a perfect rug hooking.
Oh well, I am doomed to be  OCCD inflicted and will just have to live with it.

New Rug Hooking for Halloween Gift

I bet you are all LYBO right now. Yes, another project but this is for a gift so it is a little bit different then just starting something new. It has a deadline and a destination. When I saw the project in the new issue of Create and Decorate I knew right then that is was a project that I had to do. My dear friend collects witches hats and this will be a great addition to her collection.
I know I am always showing you WIP but I will get this done as soon as I can. Hopefully within the next week.

There are also a couple of hooked ears of corn that I want to do also, but..... I will wait to do those till I finish my Dear Sweet William Wallace. He is sitting across the room glaring at me to get him done.
I think he is looking very Wallace like and I am so happy with the way he is turning out. I can't wait to see him hanging up on my wall. I do wish though, that he was still sitting beside me . Yes, there is still a big hole in my heart where he used to be. Although he will always be in my heart, there is still that feeling of emptiness where his kisses could always fill. Okay, I have to leave it at that for now.
So, as soon as I get this witches hat done I will post another picture. I am also adding the date of the Salem Witch Trials off to the side of the hat. I think that will be a nice addition.

I have a problem, I Want To Do It All!

I know that I am not alone in my dilemma but I am afraid that it is a real psychological situation and I may need help.
I have at least 4-5 projects started and am actively working on 3 of them and I am contemplating starting a log cabin quilt. I also have several Cross Stitches that I have started but haven't completed, don't know how many of those I have.
What makes me start all these different sort of crafts, stitching, sewing and oh yes, I forgot my huge beaded gourd that is still waiting to be completed, and yet I still look for more to try. I just want to do them all and I have tried to say to myself, STOP ! ! ! you can't do them all, but I refuse to listen. Is it the rebel in me that says, don't tell me I can't do it all, because that only makes me want to do it more.
Maybe it is an age thing. Knowing that my life is getting closer to that other side and still having things that I want to do or make or try before I have to walk over that rainbow bridge makes me start a new project and always on the lookout for something new that I haven't tried yet. HELP ME!
I feel  a need to make some special things that I can leave my family so that I will be remembered in the years to come after I am gone. Heck, maybe they won't even like it and I am just spinning my wheels. I have 11 grandchildren and I know that I haven't been the best grandma as I haven't even seen 4 of them ever. Its just a matter of miles, time, money and life in general. I just want them all to know that even though I haven't been in there lives they have always been a part of mine and I want to make something for each of them. By the time I get that done, they will be having children of their own. OH NO! ! !
I don't like to make things to sell, although the money would be nice, I like to make things to give away. It makes me feel good. I am now making a rug hooking of a witches hat for my dear friend as her favorite holiday is Halloween and she has a huge collection of witches hats and this she can hang on her wall or door. I have made her about a dozen crows, an afghan, sheep, and I just can't remember what else but I know she likes them as she displays them and it makes me smile to see that she likes the things I have made for her.
So, My question is this,
How many of you have the same creative desire to do it all like I do. Please tell me I am not alone in my world of unfinished projects circling around me like a huge nightmare.

What should I do??? Does anyone have any suggestions or am I in a sinking boat and I better start bailing now?

Ole World Christmas Swap

If you get a moment stop by my other blog and sign up for a wonderful Ole World Christmas Swap. This will be a swap like no other. Not just your Ornie swaps that are always so much fun but a real Creative endeavor for those serious lovers of Ole World Christmases.

 Sign up starts today and ends on October 15th.
Go to the link to see details.
Come on and join this special Christmas swap. This is giving you plenty of time to create that very special ole World Christmas Gift.

Working on new punch needle project and my other WIP

I am working on a new punch needle of a James Christensen art work. He is one of my favorite artists. Very fun whimsical creations. He is also an writer, professor, and a man of many talents.

This is the one that I am making into a bag. It is called "Grace" I love the neutral colors. and I can see it as a nice little hand bag.
I have also been working on my Swedish woven afghan too. I think it is good to have several different projects going at once so you don't get bored or discouraged with one thing.
Here is an updated photo of my afghan.
It is about half done and I hope to complete it before Christmas so I can either give it as a gift or snuggle under it myself, haven't decided yet. I always end up giving away everything I make so I might just keep it for myself. heheh.

Oh yea, I have a couple other projects to complete too. One is a cross stitch family tree for my daughter and of course my rug hooking of Wallace.

So I guess I better get off the computer and get busy. 

Besides that, Phoebe wants to go for a walk. She always want to go for a walk.

Gotta love her

A Bingo Prize

I am providing the prize for a Bingo game that I am in on a Proboard that I follow and these are the prizes for the winner.  I hope that no one from the board takes to wandering around the blogs or they may discover the prize in advance.
I just finished this  little Fall bag that will be a part of the Bingo prize along with several other  items.
 I used some old vintage wool along with some wool flannel for the leaves and a bit of chenille.
I am also including in the prize the Harvest raven and the scarecrow and pal, pillow that I hooked.

Looks like a good Bingo Prize to me.