My annual visit

Ha, just when I am ready to blog again, they make it New & Improved !!! See you soon.

Creating Collars or What to Call IT

Creating new patterns sometimes happens the first time around [or across, lol]. Or sometimes, I'll simply be stuck - starting and stopping. Okay, I surrender, I am so stuck! Somebody help me, please?!?

I've been trying combinations of crochet collars and/or neckline embellishments and/or bib necklaces.
Either

• to attach to a shirt already in my wardrobe, 
• or button or ribbon or tie (affix) around my neck, 
• or even over-the-head length.

(NOT one piece to do it all)... And, what to call IT.

I've made more than ten such things. The one pictured is the closest to what I like, with enough extra yarn in case I attach it to a shirt. And, I don't know what to do with IT now... any suggestions?

Next problem of this stuck-in-the-yuck, how to move on to something else?  Every time I go to pick up a project, I start another one of these 'things'!   Please, any help much appreciated!  Thanks. 

Old March New April news

Hey,Hey, hey! I just learned where a 'draft' hides here and how to edit.  So below is my 4-1-11 post - ie April Fools!


Goodbye, National Crochet Month!   The positives first:  Many March goals were met ~ but the evil Gemini twin has her say in italics.

• completion of 10ish 'Works In Progress'.  No 'completions' were afghans technically - even the Baby Blankie still has tails to hide!  On the 30th, I found another bag of old WIPs!  
• Made my first ever baby booties; CinC baby bonnets (which don't fit a baby head).
• YO - Yarn Organization took great steps forward.  Ignored the Old Yarn stash in the closet. 
• Blog - Following some of the best, & a few Followers for me!  Blogging seems harder than I thought.  I'd like to add my email address to the side, don't know how (please email me at sbnann dot nh at gmail dot com anytime).  And a few other things.
• Facebook - Page for me the Artist:  Creations in Crochet by NancyAnn. Need to make another update, then Suggest to Friends from my personal fb - all 46 of them.
• Ravelry - Joined - made a '5-minute' project (the baby booties).  Don't know how to use the majority of its features, & post a link-thing to that pattern or its maker.
• GO Art Show Silent Auction - my entry to the GOArt Auction sold for a few dollars more, but the whole concept of jewelry on a scarf was silly.   

Hello, again!
So, I guess when keeping a blog gets too challenging, my solution was simple:  Start another Blog!  Check it out (won't take long for the one entry); it is to track my Make Something 365 CHALLENGE.  Yes, I'm finding lots to Challenge me.  But for today, I posted a pic on fb, & plan to publish this post, now!

Crochet Marathon - Ready, Set, GO

Hooray!  My friend, originally known as My Crochet Teacher, is coming very soon, for about 24 hours!  Wheeee, crochet, crochet, & crochet, with a knit here & there from her!  Only wish it were easier to stay up till all hours, like it was 30 years ago.  Since it's about a 2-1/2 hour drive between us, we haven't gotten together since early autumn.  Old Man Winter had other ideas for us.
My DD (Dear Daughter) is away for a long weekend too.  She'll be attending the GOart Auction tonight in Clawson Michigan, with our auntie.  We both donated works, a first for each of us.  Hope we can help bring the GO organization a few dollars and wish them all well tonight!
My work is the crocheted  "Wearable Art, Jewelry on Scarf" piece - I think rather unusual for an Art Show for '2-dimensional art'.  The large tree necklace, 2 pairs of earrings, 3 pins, a ring & a bracelet, and a keyring!
We'll see - maybe more updates of completed projects tomorrow!

a few photos?!?

A bit of an update, yes, a few photos finally... but the cell phone camera is pathetic. I'm not much of a photographer, and just found a helper on the computer called Paint, so I'm trying to learn that for cropping, and who knows what else.

3 chemo caps donated today
top super-soft purple, self-stripe pink & purple,
off-white with gold ply

(above)  Our zany Ziggy kitty was ready to swipe at the pink & purple hat (but I won that battle). Really wish the colors showed better! Top cap was completed late February, next striping cap was Day 4 Completion Project, and the last one was the Day 2 Completion Project.

Adorable !?! Pink booties!  Pattern from Ravelry member
2 strands of pink yarns (I will learn how to add her name or info)

Feels like cheating, but, since there ARE days where I've not had a Completion Project, here's the schedule:
Day 13 Sunday    One baby bootie
Day 14 Monday   The Other baby bootie.      honestly, the weaving (to close heels) & hiding tails of both on Day 14.  Seems I have a bit of trouble being totally honest, even with myself.  On Day 8, I thought I had completed the Hand towel topper, but had not, & still haven't sewn on the button.

3 pins: white rose with button, Purp-L-Loopy, and shamrock

These I made as jewelry for the wearable art donation, but included the pic because yesterday's only completion was:
Day 15  Tues.  2 shamrocks    omg, not even completed to be pins or magnets or bracelets, oh my!
Day 16 Wed.  Really thought I'd finish the baby blankie, only needs put together & edging.
Took a cell phone pic of the blankie, but it all looks gray!!!
And only one other project completed, was on
Day 11  (maybe 12) A preemie hat, s2f

Well, my hope is that this month of Practice will be enough so that on April 1, when I start my 365 Daily Creativity Challenge, I will blog more frequently including pics with the digital camera of my little exercises!  I am not going to set my expectations too high and say every day.  I've already had my expectations ttooo high for March, wanting to complete afghans:  THE Baby's, a hexagon, a Project Linus donation, a Granny Ripple, and my very own personal crazy quilt afghan.  ugh, must go to sleep now, or maybe crochet just a little while?!?

5 Days' Completions?!?

• 7/31  Cotton hot pad edging  &  WIP
• 8/31  Bathroom hand towel tri-fold  &  WIP
• 9/31  ooops!  Offset by excitement of pick-up of 365 Journal!!!  BS BrainStorm scribbles about theme or name.   oops again, sounds like an excuse.
• 10/31 '2 hrs wasted time' crocheting & pulling out
• 11/31 Time to get back on track!  WIP - first 2 squares crocheted together

One of many realizations this week:  I was ssooo stuck in Indecision (about the third color for the WIP - The Baby's blankie), I did very little focused crocheting.  Even forgot about this goal!!!  But, happy to say, I'm very pleased with the shiny-pink yarn.  Still half-a-today to finish a something.

Tonight's update

Crochet completion Sunday; & I'll simply note WIP for continuing work on a Work-In-Progress.
6/31  Neutral off-white open mesh scarf  &  WIP
Sometime in the past five days, I completed a Mile-a-Minute scarf.  Thought I'd crochet more around & rounds, but decided it looked great 'as is'; that to crochet more with the self-striping yarn wouldn't work.  Hid ends; Done, & a 'J' hook back!