Blog Hopping Around the World

I have been invited by a dear friend Betsy at " The Simple Life of a Queen" to participate in the Blogging Around the World" blog hop.

Betsy is a very talented woman who I have been blessed to meet almost 2 years ago. She lives in Spokane, Wa and is happily married with 3 grow children. Her children are all over the world and it's a blessing that she likes to travel so she can keep "going" and visit her children while traveling even to Japan... Isn't she lucky ?
I met Betsy through Grace Saylor and Teresa Kasner who have also become dear friends to me. I feel so fortunate to have met her and to be able to share her amazing artistic projects. She is a gifted crocheter and knitter and I have been amazed every time I see her work especially her crochet doilies and table covers. What I feel is so special about Betsy is the fact that she is so unselfish and she is so giving. Almost everything she knits and crochet goes directly to others .... You hardly ever see her wearing any of her creations, because as soon as she finishes something she gracefully gives it to someone...what a sweetheart ! ....I hope you will go visit her blog and admire her projects as much as I do.

This week is my turn to answer the questions that will let you inside my world of crafting ...


1. What am I working on?

I always have too many work in progress ( WIP). I'm one of those people that makes lists to prioritize what I should try to finish first, but I truly believe that one should not stop creativity and inspiration and I always say I wish I was an octopus ... Can you imagine how much we could get done had we had that many hands ???

Well I'm not an octopus, but I sure have an overflowing feeling of inspiration coming at my head every day ... And only 2 hands of course ... so I'm always behind on all my projects.

Right now ...I'm working on :

Baby things :
A cute crochet border for a a baby blanket for a friend who already had her baby, a baby blanket which I started last year ( but got lost when we moved and just now found it again :)) and a pair of baby booties which are the cutest thing you have ever seen...

Blankets:
I'm currently working on a ripple for myself and a green and brown granny square (I had also put it alway in storage when we moved).

Scarves:
I have a linen simple garter stitch scarf, a lacy pink cashmere, a yellow and grey ripple, and a soft white stockinette cowl and one of my current favorites ... The turnagain cowl ... I'm sorry but I don't have pictures of all of them as I usually take pictures after I finish a project so I can show it to you ...

And of course my washcloths which I'm working on throughout the year for Christmas gifts.

Well, I think I could spend a lot more time telling you about the projects I have started but then you would really think I'm crazy... I know, I know I should be working on one of them right now ...

I just don't like to work on just one project, but I do feel like I should try to contain myself to start so many projects at the same time ... But I will eventually finish all of them and start new ones again ... I told you the inspiration and the ideas are overflowing in my head :)


2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I usually work from a pattern, especially when I'm knitting, but when it comes to crochet I love to create and to change a pattern, even if it is just a little,so I can give it my own little twist. I do have to say that most of my inspiration comes from all of you my friends from blogland. You all are so great and you do such wonderful work ... you give me great inspiration every day.

I love every kind of fiber from cotton to wool. I think I change the fibers according to the weather as I knit and crochet all year long. I also love to sew ( although I'm a very beginner) and I have just last week discovered that I do like to embroider so I'm going to be giving it a try again very soon. I have tried painting, scrapbooking and card making ... I think life is in constant motion and it's most interesting when we are trying and learning new things at every chance we have.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

Both my mom and my dad have always been very creative and artistic. So I have grown up in a house in which art was always part of our lives. For me creating and working on something artistic is just like breathing ... I need at least a little bit of it everyday to survive.

My father was a journalist so I always wanted to write a book ... And I hope to still do it someday ...( I have secretly started it in the back of my head I think )... I think that is why I started my blog. A place and space for me to collect my thoughts, my ideas and then show you the product of these ideas. I'm no writer by all means, but what keeps me encouraged is knowing that you are all going to be here every time I come back with a new idea or project to show you ... No matter how crazy or simple it might be. So, I write to keep record of my projects, but most importantly for myself and for you ...


4. How does my writing/creating process work?

I believe I get inspired by everything ... Sometimes is a color, or a picture that I see somewhere, a magazine, a book, or a song I heard, or a post from one of you ... every day something grubs my attention and that energy turns my head to the place where I get inspired to start, continue or finish something ... I also get inspired by a person I love and sometimes when it's close to their birthday or a special date I get inspired to make something for them ...

Voila ... That is me and my crafting/ creative life ... I hope you feel like you know me a little bit better now and that you know the part of me that makes as closer friends, even though I have never met ( most of) you " in person" ... I do feel closer to you and feel that we are all a part of a big creative world ...

And although this is not a question I was asked to answer I will leave you with my favorite project I made last year ... That was the granny square colorful wedding blanket I made for my niece and her husband ... I just loved working on it and I think it turned out very nice and just like my niece ... That was for me the funnest and most favorite gift I made all year..

........x.........x..........x.......x.......x.......x............x........x.......x........x.........x.........x........x.......x.........x...

As part of the blog hop I'm supposed to invite another blogger to participate on this fun game ... I have invited, but have not yet heard from them so I'm still waiting for their permission to post their names here. As soon as I hear from them I will announce who will be the next blogger posting next week.

Stay tuned as the week goes by and you will hear which blog you will be hopping to next ...

Thanks for staying with me, for all your sweet comments and encouragement ...

Have a fun ... Fabulous week!

Ps: I'm sorry but I'm posting from my ipad and the pictures related to each of my questions can only be posted after the text :)
Hope you enjoy them !

Learning every day ...

Hi there friends. I hope you are having a wonderful summer.

We have had wonderful summer days here in Oregon. Although I keep enjoying the wonderful view we have here from our house I have not been very good at taking pictures to show you exactly what we have been enjoying ... I will really try to do it this next week as we are going to take a week vacation. We are going to stay home... Work on the house a bit and enjoy a few day trips and hikes around our beautiful city.

I have been working on a few projects and I will have a couple of things to show you very soon... I just finished 2 projects for a friend who is getting married tomorrow, but forgot to take pictures of the final project ... What is wrong with me ??? I think I have been tired ... Moving and all ...

So, although I debated with myself if I should show you a somewhat unfinished project I decided I will anyways ... Because I already sent it to the new owners ...

Here it goes ...

I started my day last Saturday determined I was going to learn a new skill... I have always thought I should learn to do embroidery... I always thought it was amazing all the work I see out there ... And although I have tried before I never thought it was really for me ...
So when my friend MaryAnn said she was having a very small and simple wedding this Friday I decided it was about time for me to learn how to embroider and make a little pillow with their initials for them... You see... my friend loves handmade gifts and she herself loves to knit, crochet and to sew... So what a perfect opportunity for me to learn a new skill and at the same time make a little, simple, humble gift for her to enjoy for the rest of their lives.

... And that is exactly what I did... I spent several hours on Saturday just learning, reading, and teaching myself... Yes .. to embroider :)

My mom is a very talented embroider and a wonderful semester ( I have shown her projects here on my blog before). Both my sisters also are masters at embroidering and I was the last one in the family ... The one who never really liked and never really wanted to learn... In addition, one of my best friends, Natalie, who lives really close to me is also a wonderful embroider and she was willing to help me, to talk to me and answer a few questions...

Well... The result ??? I found out it's never, ever too late to learn something new...
It was actually a lot of fun ... I found out that this new skill was very helpful and made me relax as much as I do when I knit and crochet ...

I have to say I don't think it is my best work ... I felt like a 5 year old had done the embroidery when I finished ( no offense at all) ... But I was also just as proud as a 5 year old is when they present their work to their parents ... Not very fancy, not very sophisticated ... But made with lots of love and with the feeling that something ... A new life lesson was learned ... What a wonderful feeling . I have a picture of it when it was almost finished. I sewn the pillow and finished with a little crochet border ( my obsession with crochet borders on everything never ends) and I added 3 rows of the chain stitch to the letter ( a suggestion my friend Natalie gave to me ) and it looks a lot better ...

I know my little gift is not really a big deal per say ... But I feel I big accomplishment with having gone forward and learning to do something I have tried so many times and never really enjoyed.

I feel a big accomplishment and a huge sense of relief because now I'm part of "the club" with my mom and my sisters. I actually just want to hurry up and find all my supplies ( yes, I do have supplies they have giving to me all those times I sat myself up to once again learn how to embroider) and start a new embroidery project ... Soon ... I feel the inspiration coming...

So... Don't be surprised if one of these days I present to you not a knitting project... Not a crochet project or even a sewing project ... But yes ...a new embroidery project I'm about to start.

.......................................................:) :) :) :) :) ......................................................

Hope you are having a wonderful week and thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments ... I love each and every one of them.

Cute washcloths

About a month before we moved to our house I decided to make some cute washcloths for our kitchen and powder room.
I made actually about 10 of them and decided I like them so much I'm going to make more for my bathroom and the kids bathroom next.

I have always liked making washcloths ... they are so cute and rewarding... A fast crochet or knit project and they also make great gifts. I have made several for friends and weddings ( and I have posted about it before).

This time I'm going to show you the ones I have made for my house and with it you will have a little idea of some of the tiny little decorating I have started in our house.

I was also visiting Gillian at her blog "Tales from a Happy House" ( I'm sorry I'm posting from my ipad and cannot link to her blog but go visit her adorable, inspirational blog if you have not yet). I was so, so inspired by the washcloths she made for Christmas gifts last year and I started one this morning ( the cream color one) but I was so eager to show you I didn't finish the edging yet. She edged hers in a different color and I loved it...I think I feel an inspiration to start my Christmas gifts ??? Noticed the blue one I'm starting tonight ??? The beautiful cotton was giving to me by my sweet friend Betsy from "The simple life of a Queen" ( go check her blog out if you haven't yet ... She makes amazing projects). The beautiful green washcloths that looks like a leaf you see next to the broccoli bowl were a gift to me from our builder, who has also become a great friend ... I just love them !

We are having really hot temperatures this week here in the NW and I have been making lots of salads and I find that I really, really enjoy cooking on my new kitchen ... Everything tastes better although I only have 1/2 of our kitchen gadgets unpacked ... Beautiful asparagus, great broccoli salad, nice steak, yummy vegetables for fajitas and a nice fish, rice and broccoli is what our menu consisted of this past week ... We are getting there.

Hope you are having a tremendous weekend and that summer is just a collection of happy moments and fun times for you.

Thanks for stopping by and for all your kind comments they make my day...

Rachael's Blanket Tah-Dah

i I know I have shown this blanket here not very long ago, but now I'm ready to show the whole thing and give you all the details...

I have made this blanket in record time for my pace... It took me about 45 days to finish it and another 3 days to make the border (I had to wait to get more yarn) ... 

Even though I didn't work much on anything else while making it (which you all know is very hard for me) I think it was all worth it...

 I think it turned out vibrant and elegant and I love the simple lines on it. 

Don't you think the border gave a little feminine touch to it ? 

I made a simple border granny style with a 6 double crochet shell finish 

And here are the statistics :

I used 10 balls of

Lyon Brand Wool Ease

7 Oxford grey

1 Light grey and 

2 Cranberry Red 

With size H 5.0 mm Hook

Chain 183 sts

Double crochet to the end, turn

Double crochet to the end. 

Continue in tis manner until the skein finishes or you have 10 rows. 

Change color to red and do one row ...

Change color to grey again.

Continue in this manner until the blanket is finished changing to Light Grey for a row of your choice. In this blanket I chose the 4th row because I wanted the number to be uneven, therefore more pleasant to the eye.  

After the blanket was finished I did 1 row of SC with Cranberry Red around the blanket, then 2 rows of granny stripes and the last row I did 6 DC in each chain space to form a shell...

and voila ...

The blanket is ready...

I'm super happy with it and even happier that me ... the super add knitter/crocheter was able to stick with it and finish it in no time ...

Now I just need to wrap it and take it to my niece Rachael who just graduated from High School in the beginning of the summer. 

I think she will really enjoy it on the cold winter nights when she needs to stay up writing a paper for college... we are so happy for her and her new life adventures... I hope this blanket will be part of the great memories she will build.

I'm now working on about 6 different projects...

but I think I'm going to prioritize a bit and go back to only doing 3 projects at a time ... It makes me feel a bit more in control of my crafty life :)

 Hope you are having a fantastic week and thank you so much for all your kind comments ... I love each one of them :)