Well, Well.. it's been a while hasn't it?

Yikes,  Dear Friends.

It's been quite a while since I blogged.   To be truthful, not much has come to mind, except some deeply personal things I have been on a quest to accomplish, which I will share with you in a moment.

I have not had much time lately to devote to my favorite pastime of knitting, but did manage to make an infinity scarf, and start another.    The first one I completed, will not go on sale in Etsy, as I have conflicted opinions about it.  It is not up to par of the work I know I can do, but it does look fairly decent, but may end up in either the gift pile, or donation pile.     I am currently working on another infinity scarf.  It may go on to be listed for sale on Etsy.  Time will tell, after it has been finished and blocked.

Here are a few pictures to give you an idea.  For starters, if you are curious, the pattern is really super easy and basic.   I get a lot of ideas from Knit Picky, as they send me dozens of patterns on a daily basis.   The pattern for both of the scarves is as follows:  Cast on 200 stitches,  join together the first row, and place a stitch marker to indicate the end of the first row, and beginning of the next row, being careful not to twist your work.   I did not use a stitch marker, but used the tail end of the cast on stitches to be my guide.   Anyway.. Knit two rows, Purl two rows and repeat until the scarf is about six inches wide, or til you run out of yarn.

A word of caution:  On the first scarf, the yarn is a silk blend, and is delicate.  My work got twisted, and I was ready to give it up.  In the process of frogging my work, the yarn sustained some damage.  I started over, and frankly, did not care if it got twisted again, as it is only yarn, right?   To my surprise, my work was not twisted at all, but I did run out of the main color and finished up with two separate yarns:  light blue boucle yarn and a silver metallic yarn.  The end results are not bad, but not "sellable" in my mind, or professional looking at all.    Here are some pics:    The first two pictures of the completed scarf was knitted on my trusty Addi Turbos US size 8 circular knitting needles.  These have a 47 inch cable.

 The burgundy scarf which is in progress is being knitted on my new Addi Turbo Circular knitting needles, US Size 10.  These needles have a 40 inch cable.

Onward to other stuff, and it's my basis lately for a lot of soul searching.

Have you ever wondered how your life would be if you did not know where you came from, without so much as a clue?   That is the journey I have been on for the past several days.   Although, I do know some things of my humble beginnings of life on this earth, it would still be nice to know more, to fill those holes in my own personal history.   What medical history directly affects my lineage?  What information can I pass on to my children and grandchildren?  What do we need to prepare ourselves for?  What traits and mannerisms do we share with relatives we've never met, or ancestors we have never heard of, but are perhaps providing guidance, unbeknownst to us, as we travel through this life, this plane of existence?   How are our adoptive parents doing?   Do they even think about us?  Do they miss us, like we miss them?  Do they even care.. or do we even care?  There are a lot of conflicting emotions to proces too,  Anger, anger at the system, anger towards the families who rejected us,  Confusion, Betrayal, all of the negative and angst filled feelings mixed with love,  acceptance, and sometimes a begrudging type of acceptance of the cards we have been dealt, but at the same time, not allowing ourselves to feel or be victimized by the situation, but to be empowered by what we know, and what we can do.   A lot of unanswered questions and no easy path to find the answers.

To be adopted is a mixed bag of blessings and curses.   To not fit in with one culture, and not quite fit into another  culture can be quite confusing, and a cause for soul searching.  This is the deeply personal path I have been on.

What I have come to realize, is the path we create is solely our own.  It is our path, our story, and sometimes, even though it is our story, and ours alone, we do always not control the ending, nor the circumstances which surround the ending or the mystery of it all.   I suppose the time has to be right.   Sometimes when you are on a quest for answers, they elude you, even when you feel it is within your grasp;  to know and to understand "why?"    Other times, the pieces will fall together just perfectly, and then you realize it was meant to be, in the manner it was chosen to happen, by God, or the Universe, or other Powers that be, in accordance to your belief system.

In spite of all of this, it is much easier to sit back and reflect on how you lived your life and count your blessings and sometimes, even your curses.. sometimes what seems to be a curse was actually a blessing, which again bears the question:  Why wasn't I good enough to know the truth?   Because, from truth, comes knowledge; and from knowledge comes understanding, and then finally peace, and in an odd sense, empowerment.   Those are my thoughts at this very moment.   My grandmother used to have questions about the bible for her minister, (and truthfully, I don't even think he knew the answers either,) what she shared with me that day still rings true, as his answer to her was simple:  We will never know the answer until we reach the other side.  For some of us, this is true.  

The most important thing in this life is this:  Count your blessings, hold the people you love closest to your heart, and be kind.  Live a good life.

My friends, you know where to find me.
www.facebook.com/CrazyCozyChick
and www.CrazyCozyChick.Etsy.com

Of Blocking, modifying, and Coconut oil

Hi All!

Hope everyone is doing well, and as well as can be expected with some of this wild winter weather we are experiencing.  Even though I live in Las Vegas, it doesn't mean I don't feel  your pain.

Onward to my knitting:
It's coming along, and I am learning new things as time goes by.
The number one thing I've learned is blocking.   Who knew?
The patterns I have perused do not call for blocking the finished items.   I found out quite by accident from my interactions with more experienced knitters and crocheters alike, what it's about and how to do it.  Damn!  I wish I knew about this before I started my listings on Etsy.. which I will post about in just a couple minutes..

I was not happy with the end results of my daughter in law's armwarmers.. oh, yes.. they will be cute on her, but I was not impressed with the quality of my work, nor was I happy with the yarn.. I hope blocking solves that problem.

Same goes for the child's hat I made on the fly with modifications to the existing pattern I use for slouchy beanies..

Here goes:  After washing and drying the items, whoa.. I was not too happy with the results.. So I am experimenting with blocking to fix the issues I have with the end results.   I think they will turn out just fine..

I swished them in warm water with a little detergent, and rinsed them out well.   I then placed them on a towel, and rolled it up and stepped on it to squeeze out any water.  Onward to another towel.
The hat and armwarmers where then gently stretched out to their permanent shapes and pinned down onto a dry towel on the bed.   It will be a couple of days before they are good and dry..
Here are the pics;

My current project now consists of modifying a pattern from which  I made gloves for Connie, remember those cute green fingerless gloves made from the pattern from the Crochet Dude?   Well, a very loved friend of mine liked that pattern, but she has tiny hands too.. I made her a different pair for Christmas but they are a little big for her especially up around the base of her fingers..  What to do?   I figured out to decrease the number of stitches to make them smaller, and tried the finished on myself, as our hands are almost the same size width-wise.. they fit me perfectly, and I hope they fit Melanie the same way:   here are the pics of my work in progress:

I will block them. of course, to make them prettier..
I am happy with the way they turned out so far..

The one thing I absolutely love (besides knitting) is using coconut oil.. oh, I use it in my hair, I cook with it, I will even eat it out of the jar.. it has so many uses.   Keep in mind, sometimes I am a snob about food.. so I only buy the Organic Virgin Coconut Oil from Trader Joes.    It's sooo good!   It's so good until you forget about it being in the pan while doing the prep work on the chicken.. A tale of the danger of having a memory like a sieve:   Coconut oil has a high heat point.. while this is a good thing.. but when you forget, and get in a hurry.. and take the pan off the burner, be careful!   Here's what happened to my rug the other night:

Yikes!!! I'm so glad I did not have children or pets underfoot, and glad that I was wearing shoes that night.. Keep your thinking cap on and slow down!

About Etsy:  I am wondering what to do, since my stuff is not selling like I hoped it would.  Granted, I know I'm a novice in the knitting and crocheting world, and still have lots to learn.  On the other hand, I've learned quite a bit on my own, as Google is my best friend =)     I'm at a crossroads:

1.  Should I continue and try to sell the things I've already listed?
2.  Donate the items to charity?
3.  Give them away as gifts?

Either way you slice it, I think I need to do two or four things:

1.  Improve my skill level and use up the existing yarn from my stash.   (When I started this endeavor, I wanted to keep my items as hypoallergenic as possible).

2.  Try again with yarns with  nicer fiber blends which includes wools, alpaca, silks, and or bamboo and cottons.   I really want to try the Noro yarns, as they are so beautiful.

3.  Expand my offerings?

4.  Or specialize in one or two things?

If you see something you like, or have suggestions, feel free to post them on my facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CrazyCozyChick

Onward, I say!
I wish you all the best.. and will see you next time.

Hi all,

I've been busy as usual with knitting projects, neglecting the housework, husband and doggies as usual.. thank all the Gods of this Universe that they still love me..

I have been contemplating creating pattern instructions.. this is kind of a complicated thing for me, as sometimes I "knit on the fly"  and make stuff up as I go along.. this is great.. if only I would remember long enough to stop and write it all down..

However, there are a couple of patterns and I want to give credit where credit is due for some of my creations..  Here is a blog I am inspired and entertained by:  Crazy Aunt Purl.  I found this while searching for an easy to knit slouchy beanie hat.   I have modified this pattern somewhat, and found that using No. 6, 16 inch circulars work great for the ribbing, and then just transfer the rest of the work on No 8, 47 inch circulars, then the hat has a nicer drape.   I am looking forward to trying this on No 10 circulars to use up my stash of bulkier yarns I have on hand.   I plan on keeping the ribbing using the No 6 circulars as it gives a good snuggy fit.

Here is the basis of my hat patterns: http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/archives/2011/06/  

The instructions are located in the June 5, 2011 entry.   She has other cute hat patterns there too, which  I have not tried out.. since this one hat is my favorite.

Another individual I want to give kudos to is Drew Emborsky, " The Crochet Dude"   Here is the link to his pattern:

http://www.premieryarns.com/App_Themes/premieryarns.com/pdfs/P00151.pdf

Moving along to another note:  Here is what I've been up to:
I am making this one up as I go along, as my daughter-in-law requested something different with her armwarmers.  The finished length will be 14" long, and will have a simple k1, p1 ribbing at the bottom and top.. with an opening for her thumbs.. (like a button hole)

She has the tiniest little hands ever.. I used my favorite cast on method.  I will post the video in just a sec.

A tip I read from Crazy Aunt Purl's blog.. Cast on an extra stitch, and then when you are ready to join the round, knit two stitches together ( I use both the tail and the working yarn, and wrap both around my right needle for a couple of stitches to anchor it more securely, then drop the tail, and continue using the working yarn)   It will create a more even edge and nicer finish.

 Here is the video to do the long tail cast on.  It provides a much sturdier foundation, and a more polished look:  http://www.knittinghelp.com/video/play/long-tail-cast-on

With Bre's fingerless gloves, I casted on 37 stitches, and then when  joined the first row together, I knitted two together, and purled the next stitch, then the ribbing is a basic k1, p1 all the way around for a nice 1.5" inches or so.    A tip of my own:  When making the ribbing, use an EVEN number of cast on stitches, (after you have joined the first row together with the k2 tog, p1)  Thus, in this case, subtracting one stitch and the count will be 36 stitches for the rest of the project.  Then your k1, p1's will line up just nicely and as perfect as can be.


Another tip.. (it is one of those "Why didn't I think of this before" moments:   You know how yarn likes to roll all over the place while you are working on a project:   Here's how to stop it.. Put a DPN through the ball of yarn..  it works!



 Clever, huh?

Again, here are my links:
www.Facebook.com/CrazyCozyChick
www.CrazyCozyChick.Etsy.com

Another one for the books..

Hello Friends,

It's been almost three weeks since I posted anything.  Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  

I had taken a hiatus from blogging, but not from knitting.  I don't think that will happen.. it's such a fun hobby.   I have great news to share too.
I made my first sale on Etsy!  Yes!  It's a baby step.. nevertheless, a  baby step in the right direction.

Thought I would post some pics of some of the stuff that I've made..

This is going to be my daughter, Sierra's,  hat, she requested one a few weeks ago, and now it is almost complete.

I've discovered that I really enjoy making hats and have a couple of orders coming up.    Another item I really enjoy making are the fingerless gloves.  I have totally changed my technique and am using the "Magic Loop" technique using Addi Circular knitting needles US size 8.   I like the way my knitting turns out.. it looks more polished and professional..   ( I love the beadwork.. don't you?)

Here are some pics of the fingerless gloves I've made for stepdaughter, Connie ( they were going to be her birthday present, but her birthday came and went.. then they were going to be her Christmas present.. but I managed to get one done.. Long story.. it was a very easy pattern, but I think my concentration was totally shot.. so it took me about 13 times.. yes.. 13 times before it was the last time I started over..  (Blame Christmas, Blame Vodka..heh..)

I hope she likes these.. 

:) 

On another note:

Living in Las Vegas makes me grateful for the rain of my native Pacific NW home.   My cousin Ken sent me an email letting us all know that his home in Naselle, Washington (it's about 15 minutes away from Long Beach Washington)  had almost 11 feet of rain for the year of 2012.. one for the record books.. here is a copied and pasted portion of his email:

A friend of ours who lives about a mile from our house has a weather station that records rainfall and in 2012 it shows 135 (134.97 to be exact) inches of rain in Naselle.  I did not have to irrigate my lawn last year.  

To make him feel LOTS better, I sent him this article: http://www.8newsnow.com/story/19799632/record-rainfall-year-for-las-vegas-valley

Mind you, the yearly average of rainfall, according to that news article, for Las Vegas is 4 inches..  for 2012 we got 4.19 inches of rain.. One for the record books!  Yes!!  Who woulda thought?  

As always, you can find stuff I've made up for sale on Etsy right here on this website:  www.CrazyCozyChick.Etsy.com

And all are welcome to follow me around on Facebook, as I sometimes post pics of things I'm either selling, or can make you one just like what you see on Facebook..before they go on Etsy.
www.Facebook.com/CrazyCozyChick

Until next time
~Nancy~

A work in progress

Hi Everyone..

As the holiday season is rapidly approaching,  I want to take a moment to honor, and to grieve the senseless loss of life which has shocked all of us to our very core.   Why, Why, and Why??? we are all asking ourselves this right now.   There will be countless analogies, theories, assumptions, but nothing will lessen the pain and the suffering for the families whose lives will never be the same again.   In essence, here is a prayer for those who are hurting more than anyone should.

This was posted by a very dear friend of mine, Jennifer.  I've known her since we were in 7th grade.  

It is sad that it takes a tragedy to put things in perspective.  All the things that we want, or would like to have, pales in comparison to the love we already have in our lives.  What I am most grateful for is the love of my family and friends.  All I want for Christmas is Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to Men.    It can't be that hard, can it?

To lighten things up a bit..  I've found a picture of my dear little Chihuahua Lacey.. she's such a joy to our lives..  Here's a picture that speaks volumes of her character:

Oh, mom.. are you done yet?  I'm SO through with this torture!

She Loves, Loves Cats!  Other dogs, and measuring tapes.. not so much.. :) 

On a final note:   This is my hat in progress.   I have to say, I absolutely love the Addi Turbo knitting needles.   I've added some beadwork to my project.   What do you all think of the beadwork?  

I have my daughter in mind as I am making this hat.. question is, would you wear it?   I think I would.   We shall see.   

Love and Peace.   Be Kind. 

~Nancy~

Stuff in progress

Well, well..

After about pulling my hair out and finally figuring out a pattern to   re-make a headband for my daughter, I am pleased with the progress I made.   The problem with making something as you go along:  There is no established pattern in case you have to re-make it.. but using a different knitting technique the second time around (I.E.   Size 6 circular needles)    Agghhh..  after being awake for 20 hours straight here it is: (Not including frogging this multiple times, due to fatigue, insomnia, improper stitch count, and finally...  actually  knitting this with the perfect amount of stitches, only to get the work all twisted, and starting over again:  Here it is!  Finally done!

Hanging out on the lamp waiting to be mailed to my daughter...(She's so patient) 

The beauty of all the consternation is this:  It fits (me) perfectly!
Hopefully it will fit Sierra perfectly too :)


Next: After frogging this perfectly knitted hat due to improper stitch count.. (Yes..  I measured my head and created a gauge)  but math does not like me, and it was too big the first time.. I originally casted on 104 stitches.. nope.. too big! Had to rip out all those stitches and start all over.. ugh.. kill me now..

Cast on again.. 90 stitches.. (see those little plastic rings?  I was THAT tired..WAY too tired to count by ones.. it was easier to count in multiples of 10..  and the rings will come in handy later when it is time for decreasing the number of stitches.. again, more math.. not something I am thinking about right now.

Made with love.. even for me..  or as a gift for someone.. or to sell on Etsy..  I don't know yet.. Right now.. it is SO Soft and cuddly cozy.. and perfectly stitched... (for the moment) 

Onward to what really, really needs to be done:  Make out Christmas cards:    Maybe if I started back in June:    Haha..

Memories of years past.. or rather, Christmas's Past

Here is that time of year again, when you may have visions of sugar plums dancing in your heads,  or the movie, "Miracle on 34th Street" is on TV playing in the background while you and your loved ones are decorating the house, putting up a Christmas tree (or two), and someone is wondering which box or boxes the outside lights have been packed in.. and the Christmas decorations for the yard.. oh.. where did they go?  I'm thinking about all of this; and then some, during this time of year, when things are supposed to be festive and fun.

Why do we put ourselves through this, year after year?  The mad dash for baking, decorating, and the holiday making, the presents, the wrapping, the Christmas Parties, so we can all gather around with our families and friends, and make new memories.  Oh, the stress of making it all fun for our loved ones.  We do it because we hold traditions near and dear to our hearts.. That's why we do it year after year..   We want our children to have memories and learn about the old ways, of our Christmas's past.. when we were children.. when we were young, innocent, full of wonder and youth.. and not to mention, full of boundless energy.. (where did that go too)?

And do you ever wonder what happens when you lose your beloved family members and they are no longer with us?  Do the traditions die along with them?   Sometimes.  Sometimes traditions   do die along with them because the memories of Christmas Past.. or Holiday Seasons Past are just too painful.   So the ornaments are still carefully wrapped in tissue paper that is decades old, in the original boxes which have seen better days.  But the ornaments, the decorations are the keys to memories and traditions we hold near and dear to our very hearts and souls.

I think this is the first year I have been adamant about putting up a tree, and getting those decorations out of the damn boxes which have been stored up in the loft for too long.  We are not doing ourselves a favor, or our memories for that matter, leaving cherished traditions packed away in boxes.   No. No.  They are coming out, to bring life and happiness to our homes again.  That's what they are going to do.   This is going to get done!

My fondest memory of my mom is when I was about 4 or 5 years old.  We were living in Niemey, Niger  (Located in Northern Africa, at the Southern edge of the Sahara Desert)   It was Christmas time.  We did not have our Christmas ornaments with us, they were still stateside, in Vancouver, Washington.  So, what did mom do?  She improvised, and she was the best at that.  My brothers can probably attest to that much better than I ever could.  But.. back to my story..  Mom improvised..  She took the cellophane wrappers off the packages of cigarettes, and made me a chain to go around the tree.   I was just thrilled.   In fact.. no.. I was in awe of her amazing talent to make something out of nothing.. it was just like magic in my 4 or 5 year old mind.  She was my hero.. she saved the day.

Year after year, long after we we were back home in Vancouver, Washington,  she nagged me senseless at Christmas time to get my lazy butt up to the attic to start hauling those millions of hundreds of Christmas decorations from the millions of hundreds of boxes that needed to be unpacked for this special time of year.  Oh, I moaned, and groaned and belly ached my way through it all.  And every year,  up til she just could not do it any more, our house was a festive and fun, and a brightly decorated sight to behold.   She continued this tradition for me, and later, for my daughters, her granddaughters, whom she adored and would move heaven and earth for them.   She did it because she loved us, and because she cared.

So, in closing, while my heart is heavy with memories of Christmas past.. I will be damned if those ornaments of Dave's, mine, and ornaments my girls made when they were little bitty children are going to sit in a box, and all the beautiful decorations made of crystal and glass that belonged to Dave's grandma  are just  going to remain in a box and do nothing.. NO!  They will have a place in this house, and new memories will be made.  Why?   Because Tradition is Important.   That's why.

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad, and to all of the ones we have loved, and continue to love.. I hope it is festive and bright where ever you are..

Here are our Christmas trees.. it's a work in progress..