Yarnjeannie's Crochet Cache

On the way home from work today, I stopped at the Giant food store to pick up a few things. While there, I saw an elderly man pushing his shopping cart down the aisle and my heart broke a little. He looked very much like my dad, who passed away about a year ago. I miss my dad and wish that I could have the chance again to tell him he was loved. I have a few "Works in Progress" right now. I finished the hat and the sweater and started the pants for the little outfit for my grandson Justin. I got 7 rows into it, and needed elastic for the waistband. I didn't have any in the house, so I put the pants aside and started work on the Sweetheart Ripple afghan. I chose Cherry Red and Aran in Red Heart Super Savers, and I've gotten a few rows into it. I'm not sure if I've got it quite right yet. The placement of the slanted treble crochets is confusing. I've frogged it once, and I'm inclined to frog it again. I'm going to join the Crochet Along ...

The baby's sweater is finished. I have sewn the buttons on it. But I was worried that it might be too small. So I improvised with a couple of extra rows on the right side of the placket. It's not as crooked as I was afraid it would be. I'll probably be starting the hat tonight, if I don't head over to DS Dan's apartment, to sit with the baby. Dan and Nicole are having a rough time of it, with the baby not sleeping well at night. How well I remember those days! I recall sitting up at 2:00 am watching Phillies games being replayed on Prism, a cable channel in the Philadelphia area. Watching the game and rocking my baby at the same time. I know they are tired and frustrated, but that will all pass, when the baby finds his schedule. If they can just hang in there - everything will get better. Hubby got me a new digital camera for my birthday. My other camera quit on me. This is a nice little Olympus, and I used it to take the picture above. Well, I guess I...

I have been to the hospital every day since the baby was born, and I just can't get enough of seeing him and holding him. What an amazing little baby he is! And dear Nicole - she is such a good mom! I watched her with him this afternoon, and she coos and talks to him, and has really bonded with her baby. I wish them all the best when their little family gets home, and hope that little Justin is as good as gold for them! I made homemade chicken soup for dinner tonight. It was excellent. There is enough left over to send some over for Dan and Nicole, if they want it. I will be going to their apartment tomorrow, when they come home from the hospital. I bought a beef roast, and I'll make it, along with some potatoes and carrots and gravy. That way, they won't have to worry about making dinner for themselves. Well, the Eagles lost. I really thought that this would be their year. Too bad! Still one more day off - I love these 3 day weekends. Back to finishing up the b...

This is Justin Daniel - isn't he a beautiful baby! He was born at 8:25 this morning, and weighs 8 pounds, 15 ounces - 21 inches long! He's a big boy! He slept most of the day as all of the aunts, uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents vied for a chance to hold him. I waited anxiously in the hospital hallway this morning, until the nurse brought him out to meet his grandparents. I think that Nicole's mom was as bad as me. I had tears in my eyes and my hands shook when I first saw him. We gathered in Nicole's room later, and I got my chance to hold Justin. I could have sat there all day just gazing at his angelic countenance. I was holding my firstborn son's firstborn son. I already love him with all my heart! He slept most of the day, but this evening, he was awake and looking around. I couldn't get over how alert he was - he didn't miss a thing! Isn't life wonderful?

DS Dan called me yesterday to say that his girlfriend's obstetrician has decided to deliver the baby via C-section. They said he is a big boy, and may be too big for her to deliver naturally. They are guess-timating his weight at 8 lbs 10 oz. I am praying that all goes well tomorrow. I'll take the day off from work to be at the hospital waiting. Please say a prayer for us! This was a tough day to get up and get going this morning. I really hate this frigid weather. I want to live somewhere warm! But I've made a New Year's resolution to not take sick days off unless absolutely unavoidable. I really really wanted to call out this morning, but didn't. Glad it's over! We are in for even colder weather this coming Friday. Ugh! DH made meatballs and spaghetti sauce with macaroni for dinner tonight. I really appreciate it when I can walk in after work and find dinner ready! He's a sweetie! He goes back to work on 1/26. He's getting around a lot b...

The Eagles beat the Giants today, to move onward to the Conference Championship. I sure hope they make it to the Superbowl. It was a quiet day today. I am really bummed that the winter storm we were supposed to get yesterday fizzled. As much as I don't care for the winter, an occasional snowfall is nice. Again, it passed us by. Oh, well. We stopped to see Dan and Nicole to see the baby's room. Nicole said she hopes the baby will be born this week - poor girl is tired! The room is adorable, with a jungle theme. We can't wait for the new grandson. I don't think I'll be finishing the baby set before the baby is born. I'm making progress on the sweater, but it's worked from one side only all the way across the sweater. Then you finish off and start the next row on the same (right) side. For some reason, the sweater front is slanting to the right. I'm hoping that it will look a lot better when the sweater front and buttonholes go on. Photo attach...

Lots of rain today - cold, but a steady rain. I don't mind rainy days, even though I had a few errands to run. I was going to run to AC Moore to pick out some yarn colors, but I got an e-mail that Joann's online had RH SS on sale. I checked out the site and ordered a light blue, light yellow, light green and light plum for the baby outfit - there was free shipping on RHSS! I also ordered a couple of other skeins to make the afghan on the cover of the February 2009 Crochet World magazine. I haven't received it yet in the mail, but I've seen it discussed on Crochetville and the Crochet World website has a photo of it. It's a beautiful ripple afghan on one side, and hearts on the other, designed by Kim Guzman. I can't wait to try it. As I stated before, I'm not really a football fan, but the game coming up this weekend between the Eagles and the Giants is an important one. I'm hoping the Eagles win, but I had a dream that they lost. Hope that does...

I like to keep my blog up-to-date with every day goings-on and crochet photos. Sort of an online journal. I just want to share my feelings about some medical testing I had done today. I've been seeing our primary care physician for years now. He's never mentioned scheduling me for a colonoscopy. And of course, I've never volunteered for one! Who would? LOL! With my GERD history, endoscopies are a regular test for me. This time around, a new gastroenterologist suggested a colonoscopy and endoscopy done at the same time. I agreed to do it, not looking forward to the experience. I won't go into details, except to say that I asked the anesthesiologist to make sure I was asleep, as I didn't want to wake halfway through the testing. She told me that the hardest part of the test was already over - the preparations the day before. And she reminded me that Katie Couric did this awake and in front of a TV camera, but she said she would take care of it and she did...

I've decided to make another baby item for our anxiously-awaited grandson. Isn't this the cutest little baby set? The picture is from the crochet booklet Rainbow Wear for Baby - not the finished item! It's made with worsted weight yarn, which I love to work with. He will look cute as a button in this. I'm debating whether or not to add the pink (not that there is anything wrong with pink). Instead of 4 colors maybe 3 - green, blue and yellow. Or I might change the pink to a peach color. I'll make up my mind as I go along. I'm off to a good start with it, having finished the ribbed border and started the body of the sweater. I hope to have this finished by the time the baby arrives - due date is 1/18. I won't make the afghan, as he already has several hand-crocheted afghans, from me and from his maternal great-grandmother. Back to work tomorrow - those 5 days off flew by!

Well, I've been through numerous pattern books and I've decided on a small item for me that doesn't require a pattern. It's been soooooo cold lately and I'm running around without a hat. So my new crochet project will be something to keep my ears warm - a simple band done in the back loop of each stitch only. I have some nice Red Heart SS Dark Thyme yarn and an H hook (my favorites - the bamboo handled ones from Susan Bates). It's a simple 10 stitches wide, and each row is single crocheted in the back loop only. Once it's the size I need to fit my noggin, I stitch one end to the other. It's really all I need, as I tend to get earaches in very cold weather. To make - ch 11, sc in second ch from hook and each ch across - 10 stitches. Then turn, ch 1, sc in each sc across in the back loop only. Repeat this row until it is long enough to fit your head snugly, then finish off - I made this one 57 rows long. Sew the short ends together and weave in t...