Merry Christmas!

Just a bit after 6 am here, I know my daughters will be up soon and my day will be full from then on! Turkey to cook, cherry cheesecake...then a trip later on to my aunt's for a second dinner.
At this time of year, I miss my sister more than any other time. Last night especially when I held her baby grandson in my arms and watched him laugh and smile. I am sure she's watching from above.
I'd like to take this time to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a safe and happy New Year.

Just filling in time

It's one of those days, I really don't know what to say!
The name the elf doll contest has ended, patterns sent off to the winner, and all those who had sent in suggestions were also given a free pattern of their choice from December's patterns. The Santa Claus gift bag seemed to be the bigger hit.


My guest book at bravenet seems neglected: the only posts lately have been SPAM. I wound up deleting one 'iffy' post when I received an identical one from the same person the very next day. Two days later, received the same one AGAIN, along with one from a different name, but that ended the same way with an 'email me if you want' message. Suspicions aroused, I checked the IP address only to find that 'Vesna' and (name is foggy, but I think it was) 'Anna' were one and the same. Still not sure of the purpose: the link that I checked was to a page with links to Christmas trees, Anna's message was regarding diamond rings. Either way, don't think I'll hear from that one soon, I LOVE the IP banning option!!

HP and the Goblet of Fire

We went to see the newest Harry Potter movie on Sunday, and I swear, I almost cried! From the start: I blinked and missed the whole World Quidditch Cup. Which, according to the book, had a forest around it, but in the movie had no forest for wizards and witches to run and hide in when the dark mark appeared. The biggest disappointment: think of how EVERY building looked in the wizarding world. Old. Stone, wood. How did the stands for the Quidditch Cup look? Hi-tech metal. BIG disappointment. What happened to the creativity??? We mere mortals could have erected the scaffolding.
Understandably, the book had to be edited to keep the movie to only 2 1/2 hours. Narnia will be 3 hours, since they're including everything in the book. Which means, 3 hours is acceptable: maybe we could have been introduced to Winky (those who haven't read the book will be wondering 'Who is Winky???') who plays an integral part in GOF book, and a fairly important part in the next one.
My question is (please don't read this if you haven't already read Order of the Phoenix): now that the purse for the Tri-Wizard Tournament was deleted from the movie (mention of that really cut down the time!), how will the Weasley twins possibly start their venture?
And those who read the book will know a secret about Rita Skeeter that those who've only seen the movie don't know. Since that secret comes in handy in future, I think it would have been beneficial to mention it here.
Other movies have been made into longer features, and I really feel that this movie did not do the book justice.
Those who have not read the book will probably enjoy the movie more, but I'm wondering, am I the only Harry Potter fan who was disappointed??? Serious and CLEAN comments only.

Contest time!

I had such a great time with my name the elf doll contest back in the summer, that I have a new one for a new elf doll. Winner will receive all December's new patterns. I just posted info this morning, and have had a handful of entries already! I'm so excited!Details can be found at http://www.crochetsal.com/contest.html . One of December's patterns is the elf doll herself:

Bring on the Snow

Now that it's getting colder (still only around the freezing mark), it's time to bring on the snow. If we're going to suffer with the cold...at least we'll have something pretty to look at while we shiver inside our winter layers.
We did get some snow: the kind that you peer out your window, not breathing, not moving, not blinking, cause you'll miss that snowflake if you do.
So many winter patterns on the 'net. And (as the saying goes) so little time. I have a free pattern for Sweetie the Snowflake fridgie, shown at right. Click on her picture for the free pattern. Use thread for a smaller snowflake, great for Christmas trees or garlands, or to make and attach a long chain and tassle for a bookmark to insert in greeting cards.
Now, a little birdie told me a birthday is coming up. Okay, so I'm the little birdie, and I'm the birthday girl. How old? 29. Same as last year. And the year before. And hopefully for a few more years, until someone looks at me funny when I tell them I'm 29. I'm thinking of a special special for that day only (December 10) so keep an eye here or on my site for details.

Around the Corner

Let's see...from the radio station which started playing nothing but Christmas songs since November 1st, to the department stores where Christmas items were side by side with the gruesome and ghoulish Hallowe'en decor (something wrong with that!), we're certainly reminded that the Christmas season is fast approaching.
I've come up with a couple of Christmas designs that work up fairly quickly, as well as a pumpkin mug for the US Thanksgiving and a pair of Corvette graphs for the car fancier on your list. Patterns are sold individually, or buy a one month membership and receive all 4. (And here I'm reminded of Infomercials:) But that's not all! For a short time, buy one one-month membership, get a second same-month membership FREE. This is great for those with Secret Santa gifts to send: the patterns can be sent anonymously to their recipient. For more information, or to order patterns, visit my sale page.

Subhuman bi-peds

Please note, all suspicious comments WILL be deleted. A comment about 'nice blog, check this one out', will NOT be checked out, especially when I can see it's some assinine dating or porn link. Do I sound angry? You bet. Not that you give a flying fig, or you wouldn't have left the comment in the first place.
Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of sub-human bi-peds have no consideration for others using the internet. News flash: the majority of internet surfers do NOT want to see porn sites, they do NOT like spam, and only the stupid ones will consolidate their debts through an anonymous emailer.
Now, on to more important things.
Hallowe'en is approaching, and I'm finished designing (or have I???) Hallowe'en items. I still have an exchange to haul butt on and finish, and have a vague idea...
One pattern I designed is dismembered digits. Okay, so I have a sense of humour. A little twisted perhaps, but it's there all the same. I cackled wickedly the whole time I arranged the digits and took their picture: The pattern, and other new ones, is available on my salepage.

Okay, so I was never good with diaries either!

I admit, I was never good at keeping a diary. Days, sometimes weeks would go by before a word was entered. Only partially because I led a dull and uneventful life. Mostly because I'm just plain forgetful.
My girls are back in school, the oldest complaining already that she hates it. It's the homework thing, you know. Until she gets back in 'the swing', I'll have to put up with the melo-drama.
As for my youngest, she turns 8 on the 13th and has been crocheting caterpillars to put in the 'goody bags' for her guests. I'm doing my part, too, crocheting Pencil Neck Geek pencil toppers. What a name! you say? Thank my dh! Every once in a while, our computer decides it wants nothing more to do with the camera, or vice versa. Or, it could be mutual. Any way, every couple of months, the camera 'disappears' from the hardware. This time, must have been some fight, cause the two parted ways only a week after I uploaded pics.
DH did a system restore and uploaded the pic of my newly designed critter pencil toppers. Of course, I could not find them.
A call to his cell phone: "Honey, did you upload the pic?" "yes". "Okay, what did you save it as?" And he replied "I thought they looked like pencil neck geeks, so I saved it under that name". Of course, a search couldn't find it, so I had to upload again. Fortunately, the camera and computer are still on speaking terms.

The pencil geeks are a free pattern on my site, click here for the pattern. Other patterns just added this month (get all 4 for only $3.95): Back to School Outfit for 4 1/2" (eg. Kelly) dolls, Eyeball Set (one guy at work said it was "sick"...I took that as a compliment), a pencil case/make up case and a Red Hat Snow Woman.

Hopefully, it won't be several weeks before I speak up! Although...it seems rather quiet ...is anyone out there???

The toothpaste trials...

I couldn't help but think of those taste tests you see on television when I brushed my teeth this morning. My 10yo, eager to try new things, had talked me into purchasing one brand of vanilla mint, whitening toothpaste. Okay, I'm for trying new things...
It was like brushing your teeth with minty cake frosting. How can your breath feel fresh if you feel like you've just eaten a wad of sugar? Neither daughter cared for the stuff, husband didn't much like it either...so, in order to not waste money, I am bravely using the vanilla mint toothpaste. The rest are now trying cinnamon toothpaste, which I am eyeing enviously.
That vanilla mint might just go missing soon...
And speaking of things feeling like they're not freshening your breath...what the heck is the use of coffee flavoured chewing gum??? From the makers of the wonderful gums that freshen your breath comes a chewing sensation that tastes like what you want to freshen your breath FROM.
If I don't make sense, guess that's okay, cause I don't think that gum makes much sense anyway!

On a crochet note...I have happily finished the baby afghan, dreading--I mean looking forward to--weaving in the ends. And then comes the tense days when I worry if the gift will be appreciated. Sometimes, you put more of your heart in a project than normal, and this was one. I wanted to design a baby afghan for my expectant niece, and spent two weeks trying to force a picture into my head. I tried starting, hoping that the afghan would just have a mind of its own...and ripped it apart. Two or three times. Then, I started thinking of my sister (1968-2002) and how she would have been a grandmother, and of course crying at what she is missing (and missing her more than she would have guessed). Angels came to mind, then the phrase "Angels watch over", and the afghan was on its way. This will be one of my August's patterns, so check my site August 5th for a special price.

Something new

Thought with everyone having blogs, I'd give it a shot. A place where I can speak my mind, spout off about things, or simply update when there's nothing else on my mind.
I have a sense of humour that has seen me through a few things, and although it may be twisted (like when I laughed my butt off when my 5,000 piece puzzle was knocked down and demolished when I only had a few hundred pieces left...) it's a nice thing to have.
Sometimes, it even helps with the creativity. As in, one of my new patterns for July, my Monster Mug. As almost any crocheter can tell you, the Couch Monster does exist, and seems to fare quite well on hooks it snags when you're not looking. Mine seems to prefer the 4.5mm hooks, and lately has been known to eat 3.75mm hooks. So, I kinda wondered what the couch monster would look like...and came up with an 'artist's concept':

Don't be alarmed, this 'monster' has been defanged (kinda like the Abominable Snowman in the Rudolph movie), so although he will hold your hooks, he can't eat them.

I gave one of these to each of my daughters' teachers, the bus driver, and one for the office staff, filled with candy. My 7yo at the bus stop this morning told the neighbour girl what was in the wrapping, and continued to educate the neighbour girl regarding the infamous Couch Monster. I had to chuckle!

Check back, I know there's a rant or two coming up in the future (trees vs. smog, grocery store 'sampling' and spitting the remains in the other food...), and drop a line if you'd like. Please, NO SPAM. I am sick to death of that, would like to see all spammers left computerless on another planet. Since there are none yet suitable for human habitation, any one will do.

Wednesday, June 29th

Last day of school! I was counting down the school lunches left before summer vacation, it's so nice to have days where you don't have to be out the door by 8:30 unless you want to. Of course, it also means that mom's referee role will require more hours, so mom's crafter role may have to sacrifice some hours. Or maybe the housemaid role...if I could only train the dogs to take over a couple of my 'roles'. Like, the outside work role.
I am in the process of designing a baby afghan for my niece, due in August. I may or may not take this piece with me camping. I'm leaning toward something smaller, that won't require two 1-lb balls of yarn and a couple of 6oz skeins. Maybe dish cloths. Only a few days left to pack, so I'd better decide!
What's coming in July? Well, a double sale. Since my sales end the 5th of the month, and I'll be gone, I'm posting the new sale early and will leave June's sale up. Added bonus, buy both months' patterns for only $6.00!! That's less than $1 a pattern.