KnicKnac - Just My World, or What’s Left of It!

Gosh, has it really almost been two months since I have been here? That is totally irresponsible! LOL - well, I have finally gotten my pics uploaded to my computer to be able to show off the goodies that my Secret Pal, AUNTYM sent me! She really took care of me proper during the Summer Secret Pal Swap. Not only me, but my daughter as well.

Thank you AuntyM for being such a wonderful UKSP!

Here is the things she sent me (and my daughter) - all pics are clickable!:

AuntyM sent my daughter a whole mess of stuff! Look at this cute kitty cat and all those adorable bows for her hair! She even sent this cool marble solitaire game along with some crafty beads so my daughter could make some bracelets and anklets on her own.

This is my daughter - sleeping with her new kitty cat (she named her Princess Fluffy by the way!)

Ok - she made this awesome Piggy Pot Holder! How cool is that???

In this picture, check out the horse material (which I will be making into lining for a purse for my daughter) and the yarn with the kitchen set.

In these next two pics, look at all the pattern books, some ice cream mix, some bean dip (love me some Mexican food) and a sewing pattern (Ms AuntyM knows of my love of sewing!)

And last but definitely NOT least, is this gorgeous shawl she sent. I could not get the picture right to do this thing justice, it’s absolutely GORGEOUS. I have worn it twice so far, and have gotten many compliments on it. The yarn is so yummy and it’s MY color!!!

AuntyM? You were FABULOUS! Thanks so much for so many nice and wonderful things you sent me. You were a totally awesome partnerand took care of me royally!

Tested a pattern for Lisa over at CrochetGarden called “Beach Babe” - once again Lisa comes up with a fantastic pattern that works up very easy and looks great!

Thanks Lisa for letting me test! I used Sugar and Cream Cotton in Hot Orange and Playtime (with a little bit of Hot Pink in when I thought I was running out of the Playtime!) with an “H” hook.

A while back I made this dress and put it up on Etsy - I was testing out the waters on selling. It’s been sitting there all this time - it’s been viewed at this moment about 98 times, but no sale.

But happy days are ahead, I am getting the dress modeled! Don’t you think things look better when you can see them on a little person??? I am so excited. I am shipping it off today to a mother in Arizona who will take some wonderful pictures and send them back to me. For payment, all she asked was that I give her little girl something. Well, I made her some hair accessories and a little toy pig.

Here are the hair accessories:

The patterns for the accessories are here:

The long spiral hair bow is called worms.
The headband was my own, I just did dc’s across (I think it was 8 across) and went back and forth in back loops only.
The darker green flower tie is from here.
The two flower barrette and the one flower barrette were just simple flower patterns I made up as I went along and then glued them to barrettes.

Here is the toy pig I made her:

Appetizer
Name something you think is “the best.”

My kids – no matter how many times they may make you crazy, it’s that one time they make you smile, or make you proud, that make them “the best”.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 highest), how stressed are you today?

Well, it’s only 5am so right now stress is not an issue. Stress becomes an issue when the house wakes up. Fortunately, with school out, that is not until around 10am so I have plenty of peace time!

Salad
What kind of cleanser do you use to wash your face?

I know this is horrible, but plain ole soap!

Main Course
Tonight is a blue moon! What is something that you believe only happens “once in a blue moon.”

When I have a weekend to myself.

Dessert
When was the last time it rained where you live?

Gosh, it’s been a LONG while, maybe about a month. We are at a 9” deficit so far this year, which isn’t good.

Oh my!

Because of my ADD when it comes to crochet, it seems I am working on FIFTY MILLION projects at the same time, but then, what is cool, is that they all finish around the same time so it looks like I am a WHIZ!

I have neglected giving them prosperity by posting them here, so that is what I am about to do! Keep in mind, this is no particular order! And also, all the pictures are clickable for a larger image.

Sweet Pea Shawl for my Spring 07 Secret Pal - this pattern is from the “Happy Hooker” book and I used a yarn from Berroco called Cotton Twist in the color Pinata.

I made this cute little Pig Pot Topper for my Scarf Swap Partner! It’s a pattern you can get from CrochetRoo - I used scraps, and they are old, so I can’t give you a run down of what they were, except that they are cotton!

Next comes the Spring 07 Purse Swap - this is what I sent my partner BusyMomof7. First, this is the purse/tote/bag, whatever it is called I made for her. It’s from the May 2007 edition of Crochet!, and it’s called “Have Baby, Will Travel” - yes, it’s supposed to be a diaper bag, but I left off the changing pad and it was the perfect bag for her.

Now these are things I made for her brood, yes she has 7 kids!!! I made the frog pillow I posted about here and then all this other stuff!

I made a camera bag for my new camera my hubby purchased for me! This is using the EdgeryDoo - totally a blast to make!

There was this mystery thread crochet along during March that I participated in, and it’s a little basket made out of thread, but it got the nickname of “can pants” as that is what you had to use when you were starching the thing! LOL

Ok, then, I think I am all caught up for the moment! I have some other pics but I can’t show them yet as my swap partner hasn’t recieved her package yet.

I have been really remiss in keeping tabs on all the wonderful things that my Unknown Secret Pal had done for me during the 2007 Spring Secret Pal Swap at Crochetville. Mostly it was because of my old camera, it was doing some really funky things, so much so that I had to spend alot of time on photos just to put them up somewhere.

I am very happy to say that my hubby bought me a new one and it just came in today! WOOT!!! I will talk about my camera in another post, I have neglected Tracey WAY TOO LONG to let it go any longer, so that being said, let me present how my wonderful Secret Pal took care of me during this swap!

This is in no particular order, because quite frankly, I can’t remember what came in what package. Also, there are some things missing…such as CANDY! and YARN! that has already been eaten or used. Tracey was so sweet to me during the entire swap - thank you Tracey, you are a dear!

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ALL PICTURES ARE CLICKABLE FOR LARGER IMAGES!

Let’s first talk about her appealing to my addiction to PIGS! She sent me PIG Stitch Markers:

She sent me HAND MADE PIG Hook Toppers, but quite frankly, they are sitting right next to me at the computer because they were just TOO cute to keep in my hook storage area. She made these HERSELF! What a sweetie!

And then, what house is complete without the PORKY POOPER????

She sent me my very first yarn cutter pendant with a lanyard made of beads:

And then, of all things, she designs this casserole cover - but
technically, it’s not done, she says there it is actually supposed to look like a pig! She is going to tell me how to finish it up!!! But hey, I used it as is! It was WONDERFUL!

She even included my daughter in all the wonderful things she sent me - she got her a Knifty Knitter - and as you can tell, she already has started on Knitting herself a HAT! Tracey also sent the yarn for it, of course, in her favorite color orange. My baby is having fun! But alas, she has my ADD - she can’t concentrate on it for long lengths of time!!! Poor girl!

And then to top it all off, she designs a PURSE, and then she names it after ME! She is calling it the "KnicKnac" Bag! Look how cute it is, and in my favorite color no less!!!

Tracey? Thank you for your sweetness and for all the eCards and the stories of Alpaca’s and of Cardinal’s, you certainly made the swap a very enjoyable experience!

Can’t yet show a picture as the shorts have not been released yet, but I am so jazzed at how they came out!!! WOOT! They are cute as can be, and the perfect color for my daughter, she really does look good in orange!

I am feeling a bit better, getting back to myself, I think!

Tune in for more later…

This is a reminder to me to get things done by April 30, 2007 - please scroll down for more recent posts, if there are any that is! LOL ~ As I accomplish them, I will strike through them.

1) Squares promised to CoolHockeyMom - mail them out

2) Purse Swap

a) Lu’s item - Finish and find insert
b) Ly’s item - Finish
c) No’s item - Get hubby to made cd’s - make cozy
d) Jo’s item - Finish and find insert
e) Get ‘extras’ for package
f) SEND

3) Get hubby to make cd’s for Eurolyons

4) Get package mailed to RAOK Member

5) Scarf Swap

a) Block first scarf
b) Finish second scarf, don’t think it will need blocking
c) Get ‘extras’ for package
d) SEND

6) Get pictures up of stuff from SP swap - waiting on new camera

7) Crochet hats for upcoming launch of eBay sales

Decide on ties for new halter

9) Finish shorts (testing for designer)

10) Finish the “CanPants” from March!!! Take picture and Post!

That is how I feel at the moment, very overwhelmed. I am not handling this stay at home and get better routine very well. I know it’s best but I feel like it’s best only because I have no choice. I have a very “loss of control” feeling these days. My house is in desperate need of cleaning - I am trying desperately to keep it clean, I really am, but my back wont cooperate. My kids and my husband have extremely busy schedules and I find it difficult to ask them to do more than the basics, you know, the stuff I used to do.

Gosh, my posts lately have been depressing. I am not that person. I really am not. I am usually a pretty happy person. That is why I have been so scarce, I can’t think of anything pleasant to say, so I stay away. Ugh. I really have to quit this, I keep telling myself I need to, but it lingers on … so the feeling of out of control.

Let’s see if this helps - I am going to post a “To Do” list as a sticky on the top of this page. And I will set a goal of the 30th of April to get these things done. I am going to concentrate on my crochet at the moment because I have some obligations that need to be taken care of and I just know if I get these things done, I will feel better.

Bear with me people - I do have faith that it will get better.

OH OH OH - This was SO MUCH FUN!!!

It’s not the best it can be because I was just figuring everything out…and quite frankly, I don’t know what my camera does to purples, it turns them BLUE! But this was a blast!!! The fleece looks a little washed out as well, but it’s too cute in person!

I took two pieces of fleece, cut them the same size, then did the foundation row on both of them … next time I will do it different, I will figure out a way to do the foundation row to two of them at the same time. I just sc one row and then shells the final row. I used Caron SS in Grape with an "H" hook AFTER the foundation row.

Everyone should have one of these!!!

EdgeryDoo