Blue Lagoon Baby Blanket

This summer I completed my first baby blanket for a friend of mine who had a baby boy back in April. I found this pattern in the Lion Brand catalog and I knew I had that make that blanket because I absolutely love the color combinations.

The changing of the colors of yarns is what slowed me down and the ends can be pretty messy. There were a bunch of tails hanging down on one end and it was quite hard to weave all of them in. So I went ahead and made tiny knots and cut off the tails.

I would definitely make something like this again if I had a son or grandson. It's very soft and thick.

It took me 2 months to make it and I send it to my friend in Septemeber, just in time for the cold weather. She sent me an email saying how much she loves it and her son loves it as well.

She took some pictures for me with her son and I was thrilled to get them. I kept them in my photo albums as a memory of something I made for someone. I love it when someone sent me pictures and letters of things I made for them. It makes me very happy to see someone else happy to receive a gift from me especially handmade!

Knitting a Sweater for Alyssa

I am knitting this sweater for my daughter. This is my first sweater and at first, it wasn't easy because I never used a cotton yarn before. So it took me some time to get used to it. I had to rip it apart 3 times before I finally got it. I'm still working on the back part and then soon the front. It's going very slow but I'll be excited once it's finish as my first knitted sweater. Sorry it took me so long to post this. My hubby bought a new printer and it has a cardreader in it and now I can finally post pictures. I took this picture from the book of Debbie Bliss. I love her knitting designs. Once I am done with the back piece, I will take a picture of my progress. Hope all is well.

Making changes

I made changes on my blog because blogger made it easier to post and add things on your website. I like it much better that way when I don't know much about HTML. So I'm slowly adding things a little at a time.

Meanwhile, I am still working on the knitting sweater for my daughter. I had some struggles in the beginning because this is the first time I'm working with a cotton yarn. As I keep going, I started to get a feel of it and my knitting is looking better as well.

I'm still waiting for my husband to download a program that I need on my new computer to be able to transfer pictures on the new computer. I have an old version of Canon A10 camera and for some reason, Canon doesn't have the old version of Zoomsbrowser on their website. So it's been difficult to find that old version. We're thinking about getting a new camera, so hopefully that will be soon. I love to get a new camera. This Canon A10 is very basic and I bought it to learn how to use a digital camera. It's my first digital camera and I learned a lot using it. I have a friend who is a photographer and she showed me many things how to use it. I still have a lot to learn.

I hope everyone have a great weekend. :)

So Disappointed

I had several pictures ready on my memory card to post my knitting and cross stitching that I've completed in the past 2 months. Unfortunately, my husband thought that the pictures were already uploaded on the computer and erased them. So I have to humbly ask my friend who I gave a nice cross stitch gift for her birthday to take a picture of it again in her home. I always try to do it before I give it to them but this case is different. I lost some of my knitting pictures and I can't picture them again because most of those knitting gifts were birthday gifts for family in New York. I'm sorry there is not much to show today.

Meanwhile, I think I can show you what I am working on now.

I am working on the Summer Sample by Janlynn. I've always love this sampler and bought it at Joann store with a 50% off coupon. I plan on getting the winter, autumn and spring sample as well.




I will post a picture sometimes this week to show what I am also currently knitting for my daughter's first sweater.

Stitching and Knitting

I'm finally cross stitching again but not as much as I like. I can only stitch when my daughter is taking a nap during the day. I can only do that a few times a week. But at least I am stitching again.

In the evening , I would read a book or knit something while watching TV. I don't know why but I actually like to knit while I am watching sports like basketball or football. Maybe it's cuz I don't have to watch it so much as I do with my TV shows. So if I am not in the mood for TV shows, I would turn on ESPN. Maybe I am weird but I like it.

I am still knitting the same baby hat and scarf in purple again. I wanted to knit a sweater for my daughter but I don't have the needles and yarn I need. So I am waiting for the needles to come in the mail and the yarn I want to go on sale. But I recently got a coupon in the mail from Joann.com for 50% off on a regular item, but that's not much saving to just have one skein of yarn 50% off. I rather have 50% off the total of my purchase and free shipping.

There is so much I would love to make right now, but I am just taking my time since money is slow right now. I have some knitting things to finish up anyways and it will force me to focus on them.

As for stitching, I am trying to finish up what I started last year and hoping to give it as a gift. I have to remind myself one day at a time to do things.

Computer Crashed.

Hello all! I'm so sorry I went missing in action for a while.

The week before Christmas, my computer crashed and I couldn't get on the internet or check any emails. I couldn't even do much of anything.

So we ordered a new computer and it came the day after Christmas. It took us some time to get used to it and there are no photos on the new computer yet. I have to upload the old photos from my DVD and there are alot of photos we have to upload and it will take time to do that.

I'll just say Merry Belated Christmas to everyone and I'm here just on time to say Happy New Year too!

We stayed in Florida for Christmas. It was quiet and relaxing for us. We watched alot of Christmas movies and made some lasagna. We were too tired to go anywhere because we went to Disney for three days the week before Christmas. My mom was visiting us for six days because my Stepdad gave her a surprise christmas present to come visit us. She was pretty upset that we weren't going up north this year. Jason and I decided to go up north every other year to help save some money.

We went to Disney last Thursday to see a Christmas Show and boy, was it packed there! They had to close the park three times last week and for the first time in history, they closed three Disney parks in one day. They had to close Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and MGM. I have to tell you to never go to Disney during Christmas week. The minimum wait time in line was 40 minutes. Most were at least 90 minutes wait. If you went to Disney three weeks before Christmas, it's very quiet and lines are very short. Just my little advice to those Disney fans.

We went to Epcot one night to watch the Candlelight Processional and Neil Patrick Harris was the host. He used to be Doogie Howser, M.D. and now he's in How I Met Your Mother. It was so weird to sit there and see him in real person. I grew up watching his show and it was just weird for me not to see him on tv this time.

We also went to Apopka last Friday as a little day trip. We stopped at Kelly Park where they had natural spring water and you can swim and go tubing in it. It was a beautiful park with a small lagoon and beach area close to it. They had several picnic pavilions with bathrooms and a playground area for kids. They also have a small campground area. We will love to go back there again and maybe have a picnic with some friends of ours.

We also got to see some ICE sculptures in Gaylord Palms. It was 9 degrees inside the building. They had colorful ice sculptures and some of them had christmas lights in them as well. We were provided with a heavy coat to wear but it wasn't enough to keep you warm.

We forgot to bring gloves and it was too cold to sign to each other. So bring gloves and hat when you visit ICE. We did remember to bring our hats thank goodness. They even had an ice slide for kids and I let Alyssa slide on the little slide. They only let you go down once.

What's interesting about this place is the people are from Russia and I had a hard time understanding them with their strong Russian accents. But they're very nice people.

Gaylord Palms provided free hot chocolate and a christmas show to watch. They had gnomes hidden in their gardens, and if you find them all, you can sign up to win a trip to Alaska. We didn't find all of the gnomes because we were too tired to keep walking around. We did find three of them so far. I think there are 10 we had to find. The place is huge and it could take a long time to look for the gnomes.

Well this is my story of my Christmas vacation.

Slowly Coming Back

I'm slowly coming back to blogging and trying to catch up on everyone's blogs. I'm sooo behind. Please pardon me if I haven't commented on your site yet. I seem to have trouble with Bloglines in some ways. It won't load some of the pictures on some people's blogs, so it's frustrating to go to a blog to see the pictures and then back to bloglines. Hope that will get fix soon.

I completed the Baby Green Scarf last Thursday and started working on the hat last night. But I took it apart today because I didn't like how some of the yarn were becoming too loose. So I had to cast on 91 stitches again. I originally put on 101 stitches thinking that I will make a 3 to 6 months hat for a baby but I realized my friend's baby will be in that size during the warmer weather. So I went back to 0 to 3 months size.

Oh my Gosh

I can't believe I haven't blogged here since August. I've been so busy learning how to knit and forgot to blog here.



I made my first baby hat and scarf.

This design was from Baby's Cashmere Scarf from Debbie Bliss Knitting Workbook. I used Caron Simply Soft yarn in Soft Lilac instead of Debbie Bliss yarn because I can't afford those nice expensive yarns right now. I think I could try practicing with these cheap yarns from Michaels and see how it turned out. I think it turn out well and I like what I see.

A friend of mine just had a baby girl last Sunday on the 3rd and I thought it was perfect timing to send her this hat and scarf. I have it packed and ready to ship tomorrow to Kentucky. I am really excited to sent this to her and I hope she takes a picture of it for me to see what it looks like on her baby.

I am making the same set in Soft Green color with the same yarn for a baby boy that will be born in February. Then I will make another set as well for another friend. I have so many friends having babies next year that this scarf and hat seems to be the quickest thing to make for them. I don't know how to make sweaters, socks, or blankets yet but that is my goal for next year.

After I'm done with these sets of hat and scarves, I will try to make a sweater for my daughter and her friend. I thought it would be cute to have the same handmade sweater with different colors. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

I miss cross stitching but I just can't do them with a toddler around these days. She loves to grab things and make a mess. I am very picky on how to set up my cross stitching things and I find it hard to keep putting them away and bringing them out.

Knitting is so much easier when it's only 2 sticks and a yarn to carry around. My daughter does try to play with the yarn but I just put it away for a minute until she is distracted with something else and than I can get back to my knitting.

My new resolution is to start blogging here more often and keep track of my craft things. I am starting that resolution now and hope this will help me get started.

Knitted Scarf

I finally finished this 72 inch scarf for my mother in law for Christmas.
Now I'm working on the hat that matches it. :)

Where have I been?

I can't believe how bad I am blogging here. I truly miss cross stitching. I haven't cross stitch in a long time. But tomorrow I am bringing my cross stitching things to my friend's house to show her how to cross stitch. I am excited to start stitching again and I'm sad that I haven't done much this year. I remember starting the year in 2006 excited that I would try to do many stitching projects this year and I haven't even completed one yet.

I was looking at my Halloween project that I completed last year and I'm hoping that I will be able to do more of them this year.

I was supposed to be in a 2 bedroom apartment now but the guy who lived in our 2 bedroom apartment just left his stuff there and moved into his girlfriend's apartment. The landlord can't move his stuff out of the apartment until a full eviction which could take months.

My husband and I are frustrated with this and we ordered new furniture for the living room. Since we don't have the bigger apartment yet, we had to ask the store to hold it for us until we can move.

A lot of things are being put on hold because this guy can't simply get his stuff out of his apartment and return the keys. I don't know why he's being so stupid to hurt his credit by giving himself a full eviction by being lazy and leaving his things behind. He'll have a harder time finding an apartment when he breaks up with this girl someday.

Wow it has been a while since I've been here. I'm not cross stitching lately but I'm knitting. I'm learning how to knit this scarf that is supposed to be 72 inches long. I'm up to 30 inches now. This will take a while. :)

I'm still reading everyone's blog and leave comments here and there when I can. I wish I could be cross stitching more but I don't have a place in my home right now where I can leave it undisturbed. My daughter is getting into everything now and the last thing I want her to do is mess up my cross stitching projects.

Next month we are moving into a 2 bedroom apartment and I'm hoping I will have some space for my craft area where my daughter can't get into it. I have a friend who wants to come over my place and teach me how to sew. I'm really excited about it and can't wait to start using my sewing machine.

Just want everyone to know I'm still here.

Happy Easter!

An Update

I just thought to give an update on my Nautical project. I finish stitching it but I need to work on the backstitching. I don't have much to do but I have been ignoring it for a while since I have been learning how to knit. I really like knitting and want to work on it more than cross stitching for now. I will post a picture of my friend's gift sometimes this week. :)

Still Stitching....

I'm still currently stitching my friend's gift. It is almost completed and it's way past her birthday, but that's okay. She will get it eventually. I was planning to give it to her this weekend at the party but she doesn't want gifts at the party. So I will hold on to it until it's just us hanging out. I don't want to make other people feel guilty by not bringing gifts because I bought one for her when she requested no gifts.

I finally got the thread I need to backstitch my Nautical project but I want to complete my friend's gift first and then move on to the Nautical project.

I have also taken an interest in knitting. I have been practicing on "casting on" the needle and I really enjoy it. I guess I am getting alittle bored with cross stitching that I like to do something new. But I know I will always go back to cross stitching once I get the mood to do them.

A Life Of Passion

Getting Back To What You Love


There are times in life when we are committed to pursuing our passions. Every molecule in our body is focused on doing what we love. At other times, necessity and responsibility dictate that we put our dreams aside and do what needs to be done. It is during these moments that we may choose to forget what it is that we love to do. There are many other reasons for why we may leave our passions behind. A hobby may lose its appeal once we've realize it will never turn into our dream job. Someone important to us may keep telling us that our passions are childish and unsuitable - until we finally believe them.

Forgetting about what you love to do can be a form of self-sabotage. If you can forget about your dreams, then you never have to risk failure. But just because we've decided to ignore our passions doesn't mean they no longer exist. Nothing can fill the emptiness that remains in a space vacated by a passion that we have tossed aside. Besides, life is too short to stop doing what you love, and it is never too late to rediscover your favorite things. If you gave up playing an instrument, painting, drawing, spending time in nature, or any other activity or interest that you once loved to do, now may be the time to take up that passion again. If you don't remember what it is that you used to be passionate about, you may want to think about the activities or interests that you used to love or the dreams that you always wished you could pursue.

You don't have to neglect your responsibilities to pursue your passions, and you don't have to neglect your commitments to do what you love. When you make an effort to incorporate your interests into your life, the fire within you ignites. You feel excited, inspired, and fed by the flames that are sparked by living your life with passion for what you love.

I had a passion to learn how to sew for a long time. I didn't have anyone to teach me. I tried to learn how to do this on my own but always become frustrated when I couldn't understand the directions.

I learn better when I am watching someone or someone show me how to make something. I was so thrilled when someone finally took the time to show me how to cross stitch. It's still a learning process for me and I was able to learn a few things on cross stitching on my own since that person taught me how to make the first stitch

I did messed up on my first and second and third project, but I kept going and it keeps getting better each time I do a new project.

Now I enjoy cross stitching and want to take it to the next level with linen and evenweave cloths. I'm not sure if I will be able to get it right and it does seems confusing since I am used to Aida cloth. If not, I will have to wait until I can find someone who can take the time to show me how to work on them.

I even have a passion to learn how to sew clothes, quilts, knitting, crotching and other needleworks. So I am looking and hoping to find someone who can sit with me and teach me how to do these things. I know one day I will find someone who will and I look forward to teaching others someday and pass on my future talents to them especially my daughter. :)

Last Friday, I went to Michaels to get some more stitching supplies and I got everything I needed except for one color thread. They were out of it and I was so disappointed because it was the one color I needed to backstitch my Nautical project. So it is not completed yet as I am waiting to that particular color thread to come in.

Right now I am working on my friend's birthday gift and I won't display it until I give it to her for her birthday. Time is close and I need to focus on it to finish on time.

SBQ

I think I will try joining in the SBQ.

Comment on your comments (giving and receiving): Do you love comments or hate them? Do you check them every day, never check them, or find them helpful? And finally, are you convinced no one is reading your blog if you don’t get any?

I'm usually surprised when I get comments, but I do get excited when I received them. It helps me to keep up with my stitching.

I don't have a stitching buddy or anyone to encourage me to stitch. I do this all on my own. I rely on the internet for help and I have to figure it out on my own. Sometimes it can get frustrating when I can't figure something out and I feel like giving up. But when I received comments on my projects, it inspires me to keep going and then eventually I figured out a new stitch.

I try my best to give comments. I like giving comments but sometimes I'm not sure if they're being read if I never received a comment from that person. I always wonder if I said something offensive or boring and I always try to give positive comments. I like to spread good vibes. :)

I don't mind anyone reading my blog. My blog is a quiet one because that's who I am. I'm more of a listener and reader than a talking person. :) I do it mostly for me to help me keep track of my stitching project.

For example, I didn't realized I didn't stitch for almost 2 months because I was playing too much computer games. So I'm glad to be back to stitching and I'm really enjoying it. I guess there are times when you need a break from something.

Nautical Project Completed But....

I finally finish stitching my nautical project and when I decided to do the backstitching, I realized I forgot to buy the threads for backstitching.

So now I will have to wait to go back to the store to buy some of the threads I need to complete this project. I have no idea when that will be because my husband is working 9 days straight and I'm not sure when he will be free for me to use the car and go to the store. Hopefully I can go sometimes this weekend.

Meanwhile, I will work on my friend's project and I hope I have enough threads I need for that one too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone have a good Valentine Day.

I am almost done with my nautical project and I should be able to display a complete picture of it sometimes this week.

I found this pattern on PatternsOnline.com. It's a Nautical Clock designed by Ursula Michael from the Jeanette Crews Designs, Inc.

The fabric I'm using is a 14 ct. Treasure Trove Aida Cloth from Silkweaver.

I really enjoy stitching this pattern and I can't wait to frame it. It's pretty easy to stitch and looks great!

Yesterday, I realized a friend's birthday is coming up soon and I want to make her alittle something. So I will not display it on here until I give it to her. She might look on here since she does have the link to my blog.

So once I am done with the Nautical project, posting will be alittle slow while I work on my friend's surprise gift. :)

My Nautical Project Progress

Okay I am back in the stitching mood and here is my progress so far on my Nautical project. I really like how it's turning out and hope to finish it soon.