Look who lives at our house!

Penny was gifted a kit for Winnie the Pooh a couple of years ago.  She asked me to crochet it for her as she didn't think her skills were up to the challenge.  I'm sure she could have done it, but I agreed.  Well, Pooh sat around for a while as I finished other works in progress.  Finally, ready to start.  Get it all out of the bag it came in.  No pattern!  It is only the yarn.  No pattern!  Did I mention? no pattern!  Well, it's a Mary Maxim kit, so I get on the phone to Mary Maxim.  They no longer carry it, but one of their wonderful customer service reps helped me find a source.  Got it ordered.  Yea!  Well, by the time it arrived, I'm knee deep in another project, so the pattern is put in a Ziploc bag with the yarn.  All ready to go when I'm finished. 
Last fall, we decided to move.  And when we were packing, we used yarn and future projects to fill in all kinds of boxes.  Sounded like a good idea at the time.  Actually, if you don't need the yarn right away, it's a great idea.  Fills in all the nooks and crannies in boxes.  But, after we get moved, I decide to start on Pooh, cuz I need a break from all the moving. 
You guessed it!  We can't find him.  He is still in some box in our garage.  Penny is beginning to wonder if she will ever get this bear to add to her collection.  She never said so, but I'm sure the thought crossed her mind that maybe she should have tried to do it herself.
Well, we finally found Winnie.  He had some very interesting construction techniques.  Instead of sewing on the arms, legs, muzzle and ears, They are all crocheted in.  No matter what a kid did to this bear, he will not loose an arm or leg.  Using this method, you have to stuff as you go so the bigger he gets, the more awkward he is to work on.  But all's well that ends well. .  And here he is, sitting in our living room.

Warm, Fuzzy, Feeling

I popped into Ravelry today after not having been there for a while.  After I answered a message from a lady about a blanket I made for Project Linus without a pattern, for whatever reason, I looked at my blanket I designed for Project Linus and is available for free on their website,  http://www.projectlinus.org/.  Anyway, I have been collecting pictures that other people have made of my patterns and when I took a look at the ones made from the PL pattern, 3 of 4 were made and donated to Project Linus!  How great is that?   Just gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling that people are using my pattern and donating to Project Linus.  My take along project  right now is that very pattern.  Very easy repeat, so can talk and crochet at the same time.

New Fair-Last Fair

As anyone who knows me will attest,  I'm a big fan and supporter of local county fairs.  I've been involved one way or another for around 30 years.  I started entering things in the Orange County, CA fair back in the 80's, lots of crochet, some other things as well.  In fact, for a couple of years I actually did crochet demos in the Home Arts Building.  When I moved to No Calif in 2000, the first year I just went to the fair.  After that I started entering in the Alameda County Fair.  A couple of years I actually entered in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties.  Our crochet guild chapter has had a table at San Mateo for the last 2 years. 
So, when we moved inland, one of the first things I did was find out about the local fair.  I was really excited to see there were about 20 categories for crochet and only about 8 for knit.  So used to it being the other way around.  Well, I entered 6 items in the fair. 
On the day of delivery, I met the lady in charge of the Home Arts area.  She was not very friendly or talkative, did not seem at all interested in who I am or my experience.  Told me if I wanted to work for the fair to fill out an application and that I could not enter in the area where I work.  Huh?  Julie in San Mateo was so excited that I wanted to volunteer to set up the crochet and knit displays.  And I was allowed to enter my stuff.  I wasn't there to set up until after the judging was done, so I surely don't see any conflict.  Oh well!  Different strokes for different folks, as the old song goes.
Fair day- first thing we did (Penny, Kitty, & me) is find the exhibit building so we can see how I did.  I was very disappointed to see so few handcrafted items.  Very few afghans, quilts, even sewn items were scarce.  Penny only found one very tiny cross stitch item. There was an over abundance of fresh produce and photographs.
This is where I kinda lost it.  The items had obviously been displayed by the guys from the tractor pull!  There were some very attractive pieces there in addition to my own very lovely items, but you sure wouldn't know that by looking at the displays.  Looked like so much laundry hanging out to dry.  Then the doilies are all folded and piled up.
My Dots N Dashes afghan was hung upside down and inside out. ( Yes, I did turn it over!) There was no way you could tell that each color in the Color Me afghan is in the shape of a crayon.  The thing that makes the Crazy Eights Vest so special is the shape, but it is just thrown over a rail.  And tell me you recognize the doily as being the same as the one in the header for my blog. Anyway, here are the pics I took at this fair.
In case you couldn't tell, I was very disappointed in my fair experience this year.  I'm only a couple of hours from the CA State Fair, so I may follow my friends Kathy's lead and put my energy there next year.

Don't Pay the Ransom-I escaped!

I know!  I know!  It's been months since I've been here.  Well, they have been very interesting months at that.
I went on a very well deserved vacation last fall.  Almost as soon as I got back, Penny and I decided to move to Modesto.
Since we moved it has been one thing after another, Move from hell (stolen and broken) Cars won't seem to stay fixed  Penny in the hospital  New doctors, etc. 
We just don't seem to recoup as fast as we did when we were younger.
On a positive note, we do love Modesto.  Still adjusting to the different climate (colder in winter, hotter in summer).  Some of our plants are having some trouble acclimating also. But, so far, we have only lost a couple.
I have been crocheting right along, for Project Linus, myself, Penny, and some things for the house.
I do miss my friends in the Bay area- hi Peter, Laurie, and the others.
I have to go for now, but will be back to tell you all about the fair. Probably my last county fair.

Hang on! Here we Go!

It's official.  I'm the Chapter Coordinator for the SF-East Bay chapter of Project Linus.  I sent in my application and I was approved.  Penny is my assistant.  She says her job is to "make pretty."  Alice did bring us all the paperwork we need, and then of course, the Coordinators handbook has lots more great info in it.
So we've been busy making sure all of the blankies from the last meeting have labels and hang-tags, sorting them by size, and then delivery location. Had to go get a couple of big plastic tubs to store them so they don't get dirty while going thru this process of ours.
Ordered my business cards.  I think they are really cute!  Have new hang-tags on order with my contact info:  I know Alice will just send anyone my way that may get some info with her contact on it.
Have received a couple of phone calls already from people who found the website wanting to contribute or get more info on Project Linus.
I just finished crocheting hats for my kids for my trip next month.  I have been semi-planning this for several months and it is now less than 3 weeks away.  I will be so glad to see all my kids again.  Since they all live so far away, it's been a while since I've seen them.  And then to see a couple of friends along the way will just top the whole thing with a cherry!

Project Linus

As anyone who has read my blog knows, Penny and I have been very active with the local chapter of Project Linus.  Alice, the coordinator for SF/East Bay, is a wonderful lady.  She is always so calm and together.  Guess that comes from many years of being a nurse.
We went to our monthly meeting yesterday evening, with our large bag of goodies. Penny had four ghans made from squares and I had 5 fleece blankies with crocheted borders.  We also had 2 large granny squares from Mattie and a large ghan done by Anita.
Imagine our surprise when Alice told us that she and her husband are selling their house and moving down to San Jose to a retirement community.  They want to live closer to their kids and grand babies and are ready to give up the house they have lived in for 40 years!  Too big!  Too many stairs! 
The biggest shock was still to come!  She is giving up the Project Linus chapter.  This is a group of about a dozen ladies who show up every month with their quilts and afghans. There are several others who come from time to time when schedules permit.  Always willing to share what they know. And very proud that they have donated over 2700 quilts/ghans to children in our area in 3 or 4 years.  What in the world will happen to the group without Alice?
Well, we can't let the group die!  That would be just sinful!  Everyone is just sitting there stunned. No one knows what to do.  We don't want to lose the group or Project Linus.
Well, maybe you have guessed by now that Penny and I volunteered to take over the chapter.  Hope we have not bitten off more than we can chew.  We came home last nite with all the quilts and ghans in the back of my poor, dirty Volvo.  We are meeting with Alice next week to learn the ropes of where to go, what to take, and how to report what we are doing to headquarters.  Denise of Sisters and Stitches, the quilt shop where we have been meeting, says we can continue on there with same schedule we have been using.  Thank you, Denise.  All the ladies have said they will help in any way they can.
Kris, who lives in Oakland, says she can deliver to Children's Hospital.  My friend, Laurie, said, not to worry, she's here to help.  Thank you all! 
I know the next couple of months will be a little confused until we work out the kinks, but we can do this!

What I did on my Summer Vacation

July has not been quite as hectic as June, but I have still been pretty busy.
I started the Swellegant Elegance sweater designed by Peter Franzi.  Peter gifted me the yarn for my birthday in April and it finally came in.  Saucon Sock yarn by Kraemer Yarns.  It is fingering wt, 44% cotton, 43% acrylic, and 13% nylon.  The color is Loganberry, so kinda a purple color.  I know, not my usual earth tones, but I decided to try something a little different.  As of right now, the sweater only has 1/2 sleeve, assembly and ribbing left to do.  I plan to wear it to the next guild meeting on 8/21.
I have taken a couple of breaks from the sweater.  I learned 2 new dc stitches this month, so had to make a scarf in each stitch.  The first is the linked dc and the other was the herringbone dc.  I learned the linked while I was reviewing my first portfolio for the Masters Program and the herringbone dc was used in a border from Edie Eckman's book Around the Corner Crocheted Borders.  I will be teaching both of these stitches at the next guild meeting.  Come join us.
The scarves will be going to Dawn for her annual holiday packages for the troops.
I crocheted borders on 5 small fleece blankies for Project Linus, using Edie's book.  Some beautiful borders in there!
Our friend, Anne, brought a bag of crocheted flower motifs to Penny last week.  So I sat down and worked out how to turn them into squares.  Penny loves squares and makes several ghans a month for Project Linus.
And, speaking of Project Linus, Laurie and I went with Alice to San Francisco this month. KPMG was having their semi-annual meeting at the Palace Hotel (wow! is the only word that applies here).  Part of their meeting is a charity or community project in the city where they are meeting.  Vicky, from New York, is part of Project Linus in her area.  She and Debbie, from Dallas contacted Alice.  We went to help them put together tied fleece blankets.  They ordered the fabric, a nice weight and some really cool designs, to be paired with some bright colored solids.  Before we even got there, they had done all the cutting and had them ready to cut the strips on the sides and tie.  There were about 30 people cutting and tying for an hour and a half.
They completed 21 out of 35.  We brought 14 with us to be tied at the next PL meeting. Or maybe we will crochet borders on them.  When the meeting was over, we checked our push-pushes at the hotel and went to dinner.  We sure looked like a trio of bag ladies trying to get back to the BART station!  But I was surprised at how many people offered to help us carry the rolling carts down the stairs.  It was great fun, and I would be honored if Alice requested my help again.