new beginnings

This is the start of new beginnings with my attempts at learning how to crochet. New beginnings for a new year. It's supposed to be a baby afghan. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to frog it because I started off doing the double crochet stitch incorrectly. When I was creating this stitch, I was placing my hook into the front stitch instead of taking it all the way through the whole loop. It makes a pretty pattern, but it definitely was a slower process. Then when I went to add new yarn, something went wrong and you can see the one edge was decreasing in size. Well, we learn from our mistakes, right?

The holidays have been great, full of lots of sweets and treats. It's been wonderful to have my daughter home from L.A. for a 2-week visit.

Happy New Year!

12 days of christmas mystery

Okay, this is one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me at Christmas. Someone who is remaining anonymous is delivering packages to me daily for the 12 days of Christmas. This started last Thursday, the 14th, and a package has arrived every day since then. Package 7 arrived yesterday with instructions to only open one package a day. Well, I opened #7 which was a huge box that contained another box labeled 8th day I had to wait to open today. The 8th box was a box that contained a box labeled 9th day. I have to wait until tomorrow to open this box. The mystery continues. . .
So who could this incredible mystery person be? I wonder if I'll ever find out. Whoever you are, I feel very blessed and thankful that you would shower me with so much love. You are a very special person!

Here's what I've received so far:
Light blue sweatpants with matching hoodie jacket, a microwavable lavender scented neck wrap from Bath & Body Works, Harry London dark chocolate caramels, a cherry almond candle, Bigelow body products, a Brookstone wine opener, and a bottle of Korbel Champagne. Wow! Every gift is perfect. I wonder if this has anything to do with the message I gave a couple of weeks ago at our women's coffee mug/cookie exhange. The message was Jesus, the Gift that Keeps on Giving!

Here's the box for the 9th day of Christmas. I have to wait until tomorrow to open this one.
Along with a very curious kitty, I opened the box for the 9th day of Christmas. Inside this box was another box labeled the 10 day of Christmas! Now I have to wait until tomorrow to see what the 10th day holds. The mystery continues. . .
Another box within a box for the 10th day of Christmas. We shall see what tomorrow holds. I have a feeling that I'll be unwrapping another box tomorrow that will contain the 12th day of Christmas box which will have the real prize. To be continued. . .

Oh my, I opened the package for the 11th day of Christmas, and it's an iPod nano! Okay, now I'm stumped because it has to be someone that knows I wanted an iPod. I only told one person, my hubby. Hmmmmm. . .
Wow, an iPod. Whomever you are, thank you! Hopefully, I'll get to thank you in person tomorrow, Christmas day.

On Christmas day my mystery person along with her family arrived at my home to deliver the 12th day of Christmas gift!
Drum roll...drum roll...drum roll. . .
My awesome gift bearer was my daughter's boss from when she worked at the tanning salon. Her name is Katrina. The 12 day gift was a KK set and yarn. Yay! Katrina, I love ya. You're an amazing person! Thank you so much for all these great gifts.

sugar cube dishcloth

Lion Brand Yarns sends out an e-newsletter and they usually include a knit stitch of the week. The stitch was called "sugar cubes." I thought I'd try and convert the pattern to the loom and make a dishcloth using this stitch. I loomed this one on my DA extra small 3/8" gauge WonderLoom. It turned out pretty close. The yarn was Sugar 'n Cream 100% cotton, hot green, but I think this pattern would look pretty in any variegated cotton yarn as well. Once I wash and dry this cloth, it should set the stitches. I wrote Lion Brand Yarns to ask permission to post the converted pattern on this blog, but haven't heard back from them yet. As soon as I do, hopefully I'll have permission to post it. The pattern calls for repeats of 8 rows. I did around 8 1/2 repeats for the cloth to measure approximately 8" x 8". On a larger gauge loom you may not need as many repeats. I used the knit stitch and to bind off I used the basic bind off.