Finished, Yarny Inheritance, Swatching

I finally finished a Bella Dress for my own baby and I love how it turned out!  I started making it in this pink and really hoped I could find a good fabric to use that would have both pink and orange in it.  The fabric has white w/ pink flowers, orange flowers, and yellow w/ pink flowers on it.  Perfect!  She was a perfect little model for me while I took pictures in the front yard.  Next spring I can sell my own version of the pattern on Ravelry for folks to buy.  When I do, the sweet pictures I took of my baby will grace the pages.

My yarny inheritance…My husband’s aunt passed away recently.  I’m glad for her that she is free from the health problems that she has suffered with the last few years.  I’m sure that her spirit is feeling so free without the oxygen tank she’s had to have with her for the last several years.  Rest in peace Barbara…  She was a crocheter until the last few years of her life.  She had stockpiled lots of acrylic yarn.  No one else in the family crochets, so hubby brought 4 trash bags filled with acrylic yarn for me.  I might actually work up a swatch for a design submission with some of it.  Mostly though I plan to make stuffed animals and blankets to donate to charity with it.  Most charities really want items that can be machine washed and dried, so acrylic is perfect for that.  That is one of the bags with several skeins on top in my closet.  I better hurry up and use some of this so that the bags aren’t taking up space in my closet and room for very long!

I was amused by this particular skein that came in those bags and others of the same brand.  Some of this yarn was obviously purchased a long time ago when acrylic yarn was in its hay-day.  Most yarn labels don’t like to trumpet their being made of acrylic anymore.  It is my understanding (and not my first-hand knowledge, cause I’m still somewhat young when compared with numerous other crocheters), that when acrylic yarn became available it was all the rage because it was easy care and inexpensive.  Previously, most yarn would have been made with wool that was probably scratchy because it was not treated and spun in a way to produce softness, and it had to be hand-washed and dried flat, and it was expensive.  So, back in the day, acrylic yarn was the thing to have!

I am posting this to show you something else that I do on occasion–decorate cakes!  Now, I am no professional.  Infact, I’ve never even taken a class.  A good friend of mine that had taken classes showed me some things, and I have a book that I have used for guidance.  I only do this for family birthdays.  I thought you might enjoy seeing it.

Other than all that, my week was pretty productive until yesterday.  I’d been feeling for awhile like my neck could use a trip to the chiropracter for a good popping.  Then yesterday morning at some point the muscles in my left shoulder and the same side of my neck knotted up and I could barely turn my head to the left, and not a lot to the right either.  Not so fun.  Mr AC came home from work in the afternoon to take me to the chiro. since I didn’t feel like I could drive safely.  It is feeling a little improved this morning.  Hopefully, I’ll be back to normal within a few days.  I think rest, ice, and IBuprofen will probably help me along.  Also, the call for patterns for next Summer’s issue of Interweave came out on Monday I think.  I was a little overwhelmed reading through it the first time because it was a lot more specific than previous ones.  After contemplating for awhile I came up with lots of great ideas, more than I care to work into a submission, but I will probably submit 2 or 3.  I worked on a swatch for that yesterday and will probably finish that one and start on another today.  Previous to that, I’ve been working for the last week or so on a design project and I am really pleased with how it is turning out.  I’m not sure yet if I will submit that one to a magazine or self-publish it.  We’ll see.  Well, I’d love to hear from my blog readers once in awhile….so please, feel free to speak up and leave a comment.  I’d love to know what you think about what I’ve been working on, or what you’ve been working on, or what you’d like to see me working on.  Drop me a line!

Happy stitching!

April