Miss Cranky Pants

Update: No water, still

That's not, "We have still water."  What a lovely, peaceful thought.  Kind of a trickling, rippling creek, with still, deep blue pools... no, that's not us.  That's:  We still do NOT have water.  As in, water is not coming to our house, going into week 4.

Nearly a month ago, you see, we (all of northern NM) lost our natural gas feed coming out of west Texas.  After 5 days without heat, relying only on small electric space heaters, it was inviteable that in 20 below zero temperatures, we were bound to break a pipe or two.  Well, we did, and since then, we haven't had any water. 

You see, I now speak my "I've about had it"  voice nearly all the time.  I have officially become Miss Cranky Pants.

Saturday was supposed to be a wonderfully productive day, doing some laundry (at my in-laws), doing some dishes (at my in laws), having a good soak and shaving my legs (at my in laws), and maybe doing some hooking on the 14 different WIPs I have going (in MY crafty, peaceful, full-of-finnish-stuff, room)

Instead, I sat in coveralls and boots, and supervised my dear darling husband auger holes into the earth from high atop the old Ford tractor, making sure he didn't drill into the 40 year old Colorado Blue Spruce tree, making sure he didn't drill into the old "already-falling-apart-why-do-we-keep this" fence.

Everything was going just fine until my sweet, 81 year old father-in-law came rushing out of the house to exclaim that the power surged, blew out a few lightbulbs, and now there was no power.

Certainly that all had nothing to do with us.  The water line (that we had spent half the day digging to find) couldn't possibly be buried along with the electricity line.  No, of course not.  Well, it sure was.  The guys from the Electric Co-op came out and found the broken line, but they didn't find the rest of our pipe. 

So, anyway, that was my weekend.  The whole thing kind of summarizes the last couple of months, really.  Between illness (physical and mental, I swear) finances, and boxes and messes everywhere, I'm done. 

I've decided to give myself a gift as reward for withstanding all the crap.  You see, I've had my eye on this beautiful painting. I made contact with the artist today, she'll invoice me tomorrow and soon, I will have my Little Red Riding Hood...thank you Miss Julia for creating an amazing scene of such a sweet little girl, all dressed in red, running down the forest path with her beloved doggie by her side who happens to look just like one little Monkey-climbing dog named Cowboy. 

This piece really speaks not to me and some unspoken desire to run away from all of this, but the fact that I've come through the wilderness and am ready to come into the light... there but for the Grace of God go I.

See ya round the (happier days to come) corner,

XOXO

***flower-teenies***

Just photos of progress, today... thank goodness for glasses!

 They're becoming addictive, these little ones.

See ya round the (teenie) corner

XOXO

teeny tiny micro flowers

I just posted a couple of hours ago.  I said that I had been dealing with a stomach thing and during the last 24 hours have decided to start in on a flower shawl.  Well, I also mentioned that I dreamt last night that I made a a beautiful flower shawl out of embroidery floss.  I just dug out my old stash of floss and within a few minutes, came up with this:

It looks pretty much like the larger version.  But, with some scale, here's it's actual size:

The only problem with it is that it has one too many petals.  I got so excited about making a micro-version that I forgot how to count!  Sheesh.

So, off I go on the pursuit of shawl making.  I saw an avatar on ravelry the other day.  It said, "I crochet to keep from killing anyone."  Or something to that effect. 

I'm terrible when it comes to remembering things. 

 Anyway, I think mine should say, "I crochet to keep from doing anything else." 

See ya round the (micro) corner

XOXO

the Flowers have arrived!

We'll, it was inevitable.  The stomach bug of Taos has found it's way into my home and my tummy.  Needless to say, it hasn't been fun, running too and from my in-laws house to use the facilities, as we are still water-less. 

So, in between the terrible cramps last night, I decided to join the Japanese flower movement... to help keep my mind off the pain.

Since then, all I can do is obsess over this concept.

After looking in on some extremely brilliant gals sites, I think I've figured it out.  Thank you to the lovely Teresa and tireless Lucy of Attic 24 for directing us to the wonderful French gal who crafted a beautiful piece from a Japanese crochet book, Motif-book-vol 4 for sale on etsy .  Lots of inspiration everywhere!!!

Well, I ended up improvising mine in (American) half double crochet, not the double crochet that the others have done.  I don't know why, but I feel that it gives the flower a little more compact-ness and maybe saves a little yarn.

So here were the first couple of go's...  a little chuncky and bunchy...double crochets and a little squishy.

But then I figured it out and have, now, something I'm happy with:

I had a dream last night (I'm dreaming a lot these days) that I did these flowers in embroidery floss.  I used to cross-stitch quite a bit, so I have a little stash of it somewhere in the mess.  I'm thinking that if I got going now, with a teeny-tiny hook, I could be done with a shawl in 10 years... hmmm... I might just give it a go and just see.  Would definitely be a blue-ribbon piece for the county fair...;)

See ya round the (flowery-goodness) corner

XOXO

Antique Rose Granny

I couldn't take it.  I just had to post these of my new granny, even though they're a curly mess, camera strap in the way and all.  I know, I know.  I haven't posted in over a month, and now two in one day.... it's called procrastination in the biggest way.   That research proposal is still not done.

Much as the way of my over stuffed closet has gone, as well as the library of books I say I must read, crochet must come first, you see.  I dreamt that I owned my own yarn store last night.  It was glorious and torturous all at the same time.  Sorry to be so random, but maybe this is something I need to talk to my shrink about.   Could it be OCD? Well, anyway, OCD or not, here are some squares for the new blankie, "Antique Rose."  I'm still not sure about the oatmeal color border, but maybe it'll work out....

I think I'm just going into panic mode.  I am going to have my "trigger fingers" fixed on my left hand as well as surgery on my ankle soon and just don't know how it will impair my crochet...  I think I'll go mad.

It's almost the same feeling I had when I set the date to quit smoking,

coming up on 3 years ago now, February 25.  Is that crazy or what?!?! 

See?  It is OCD!?!  Only someone with OCD would carry on in this way.   Hmm. 

Mini chocolates are in the fridge.  Ahh... I'm okay.

See ya round the (OCD, really it is...) corner

XOXO

***little building blocks and yummy grannies***

Just wanted to pop in and post some new stuff... I'm on a huge deadline for work, but wanted to express deep gratitude to all for keeping the vigil for our water to get fixed- it's been out now for 3 weeks due to the sub zero freeze.

Here's a bunch of little blocks I started... they're SOOOO cute, even though they're all catywompus with their edges a curlin' and all... either it will be another cushion or a monster blankie...

  

I did this colorway on Colour Lovers

and just had to make a granny blankie with the palette. 

It's the "Spring Apple" granny.

Can't wait for it to grow nice a big so I can take better photos....

....oh, and I started another blanket for the "Vintage" Collection. 

It's called "Antique Rose Granny."

You can see the colorway here.

I just can't wait to see how this one ends.

Hopefully, next time, I'll be able to say we have water and have a ta-dah or two....

See ya round the (dried out) corner...

XOXO