The itch

     I have the itch to make something for someone super special to me.  I have a friend whom I absolutely love and adore.  I do not get to see her as often as I would like due to the craziness of life and the fact that she is a mom of four!  Her boys are super busy in sports and the teams that travel, her husband works alot but does help with the traveling of the sports.  Her daughter is so special to me and I love when I get to spend time with her. 

     Lastnight my friends daughter G came up the block to where I am staying and visited with me for about two hours. Shes 12 mind you, we threw the ball for the dog and then talked crocheting for about 45 minutes.  Her mom knits and just recently learned to crochet a bit.  She has taught G how to knit a few years ago and here recently to crochet.  A couple nights ago I got visit with R the mom and we always have so much fun.  Shes animated, down to earth (from the Midwest), easty to talk to and shares my love for color.  I could go on about her... :) 

     It hit me the other night that I need to make her something.  She loves the beach and has worked on making her house serene like and the colors remind me of the beach.  She LOVES the beach.  She is always wearing coral somewhere on her body.  I was out getting yarn a few weeks ago and I came across some coral yarn.  I have never seen this before.  I bought 5 skeins!  Whats a girl to do?  So again it hit me the other night I need to make her something.  I wanna make her a blanket with the coral.  I am going to get some sea foam and white and maybe a mocha.  I have to scratch this itch!

     Mind you I have several other things I have to complete.  I have those 3 of the 4 blankets to finish for Christmas.   I have been working on my swap projects from Ravelry.  I got caught up in the SWAPTASTICNESS and might have slightly overwelmed myself for like a second...maybe 10.  Im good now.  I sent one box out already, another is pretty much ready and the other could be ready by tomorrow!  I have also RAK'd a few ladies. You know Random Act of Kindness!  This is when you send something to someone that they wanted.  I know this because they have wishlists!  I also rec'd my first one the other day. I was so excited.  I got stitch markers and I even used them lastnight while working on a swap project, skull socks( which I purchased lastweek for someone Im swapping with) and sock yarn! 

     You see I have never worked with sock yarn, I purchased some last week because I wanted to crochet socks.  I found a pattern and thought this is going to be so easy, how hard could it really be?  I consider myself to be an experienced crocheter, well maybe I should say advanced since I have yet to make clothing.  I found the pattern through the DROPS design site. I should have known it wasnt going to go well when it starts out CH 90.  I have to frog it.  Im not giving up, Im just gonna look for another pattern.  If it still doesnt work then I am going to have my friend R that is mentioned above teach me how to knit socks. 

Last class

Yesterday was the end of crochet lessons at the camp.  I was sad to say goodbye.  The one girl standing to my right as you're looking at the picture, finished her scarf! I was so proud of E!!  C who has her dishcloth in front of her face, proved to be aa challenge for me.  Have you ever tried to teach someone something and as hard as you try it seems impossible?  I seriously felt this way.  C proved me wrong, she got with the program, went on youtube like I advised and figured out her dishcloth.  I was so proud, I almost cried.  When I saw her yesterday, I would say she was about half way done with her scarf that she is making for her grandma.  How sweet is she?

All the girls stepped p their A-game and enjoyed crocheting.  They have all struggled with their tension, but who doesn't when they are learning?  I provided the yarn, which was exciting as I got to lighten my stash.  My boss actually donated the hooks.  The girls were so excited about this because they could crochet at home and keep a hook.  They also made thank you cards to my boss.  They thanked her for the hooks, letting me leave work and teach them and congratulated her on her recent engagement. 

Before this class I had taught and came out with no results.  I started to wonder what I was doing wrong, what cold I change and do better?  Maybe I was not choosing the right starter project. Maybe I just cant teach.  Maybe its the kids, maybe they are too young.  This experience has taught me that I can teach, I know what I am doing.  It has given me confidence that I did not have before.  I really thought one or two would get it and they all got it!

Proud Auntie Moment

I just have to say that my nephew ROCKS!!! He is progressing very nicely!

Teaching and making memories!!!

I love crocheting so much that it is all I want to do.  The one thing I have never done is forced someone to learn.  I will gladly teach if someone is interested.  As I have mentioned in prior posts, I have had the opportunity to teach 11-13 year old girls for the past month. 

(I can see that Blogger is not gonna cooperate today)

I am unable to post more pictures as of now.  Above is Miss T and I have known her since she was 5 or 6.  So teaching her how to crochet was sentimental for me.  She had a little bit of experience before coming to me and that always makes things go a little bit smoother.  She was the first to finish her dishcloth and the first to start her scarf.  Miss T also wants private lessons!!! I have never done that before  and have no idea as to what I should charge.  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

Today is the start of our last week together.  All of my girls are doing so well and already working on their scarves. 

Since I started teaching the girls, one of my friends came to me and asked if I would teach her.  We have had one lesson so far.  I have also helped another friend who learned via youtube.  I am working with her to read patterns and since she learns by watching I taught her how to start a square and she chose to continue the square and turn it into a huge square. 



Unplanned Adventures...

This past weekend I was looking forward to spending it at home, since I had been dog/house sitting for 2 wks.  My niece J turned 7 yesterday and I was not sure if I was going to see her or not.  Her parents recently purchased some land here in NJ and they put a little house on it. It is next to the lake and a pool.  So they spend a week or two at a time there.  Anyhoo her mom and I had been talking back and forth on friday about if they were headed home to Long Island and if they did when I would come over.  I get a call about 8:30pm telling me that the boys (my nephews) really want me to come out and see their cabin and spend the night and all that stuff.  I told her sure!  I am babysitting, once Im done I have to go and  collect my stuff from where I have been staying and then I will be on my way.

Finally at 11 pm I was on the road.  I just love unplanned adventures!!! It was about an hour drive and pitch black once I got out to the general area.  The older 2 of the 4 knew I was coming and greeted me with big hugs once they saw me.  I take that back the oldest had been sleeping and heard me and jumped out of bed!  They younger 2 woke up the next morning and crawled in bed with me and we cuddled.  Talk about a great way to wake up!  That to me is what living is all about. 

We walked around the man made lake. 

We saw frogs, turtles, dragon flies, butterflies, lots of bees and swans!  We swam, we ate, we played volleyball and basketball.  Mind you my niece M texted me on friday and said that she wanted me to sit down with her again and teach her to crochet.  I said if you really want to and would commit to more than 5 minutes and really try it I would be more than willing to teach her.  She said yes. 

Saturday in the midst of all the chaos we went to get yarn.  She picked two colors and once we were back she raided what I had just purchased.  Off to crochet we went.  I apparently had attempted to teach her when she was 8 and she reluctantly retained some of it.  So she picked it up really fast!

Let me just say sheshooked!  This is all she wanted to do for the rest of the time I was there.  If we did take a break and go do something else, all we heard was "I just wanna crochet! I need to work on my blanket."  If she had the chance she took it everywhere with her.  Also as you can see we or I finally found some Red hearts With LOVE yarn! I have looked everywhere for it and no luck until now! M got some and I bought a few colors for myself.  M & C both raided it as they each picked a color from my newly found stash.

Here she is in the car lastnight, after dinner! 

I was so excited when she decided this is what she wanted to do!  M is 15, then I have two nephews. C is 12 and H is almost 10.  C decides he wants to learn.  I was like, are you serious?? Mind you C is all boy!  He loves to play sports, play with the other boys and he is just all boy!  I know he is sensitive, loves to help care for and at times play with the younger kids, he loves animals and when he loves and you have his love you are IN!  He tells me "Auntie I do want to learn, just let me try."  Who am I to stand in his way?  If he wants to try it then so be it.  I honestly  just though he would try it, get frustrated and be done. 

He likes it, hes getting it.   The he decides hes done with SC and wants to do what M is doing.  Im like what?  I quickly teach him to DC.  Mind you when he was chaining, he was a natural.  He picked everything up right away.  Way quicker than the girls I have been teaching for the past month. 

I cannot even begin to express how happy I am.  I am the proudest Auntie!  C is totally into this, he is so satisfied.  He is excited to make a blanket that he can cuddle up under.  I was totally  ready for him to say that he didnt want to bring it with us down the lake, as there were boys his age down there.  He even said in a split second that he was not going to.  Then he changed his mind.  I had given him 4 colors and found a black canvas messenger bag in my trunk.  If we werent up at the house and he was where ever he had that black bag around his body.  He walked proudly with hook in hand!!!!

You know by now there are 4 of them!!!  J had tried a stab at it on saturday, I did not get a picture of her doing it and it was short lived.   Yesterday towards the later part of the day H decides he wants to learn.  Let me tell you, I am elated at this point and also very very exhausted.  Two wks of not sleeping in is catching up with me.  I have been playing with these 4 and enjoying every minute of it.  It took everything I had in me to teach him.  H like the other two is a natural! 

I outfitted him with a little bit of yarn, a hook and another bag like his big brother C.  He was so excited at the way his chain was coming out. Again I am a super proud Auntie!!! 

Then of course J turned 7 yesterday. Since my trip was unplanned, I did not have a present when I arrived.  So I called the Birthday Fairy and she helped me save the day!

I had such a great weekend! I made a lot of memories!

I love you M, C, H & J!!!

Oregon....for good?

I know I have mentioned this before, but I really do miss Oregon.  I miss my family and friends, plus all the things that Oregon has to offer.  I moved away when I was 18 and never looked back.  It comes down to not being happy here in NJ.  I am not living my life to the fullest here and it is way to EXPENSIVE!!!!  I also miss my Gram.  She is my bestfriend and means the world to me.  I have often felt guilty living so far.  She has bee a trooped though, she has flown out to see me on several occasion and even drive cross country with me twice.  Who else can say that about their Gram?  She is the one person I can go to if something is wrong.  I want to spend time with her, be close to her as I always worry about her and worry about what I would do if something happened to her while I was so far away.  She needs me!

I miss my friend Diana!  She is one of the funnest and most caring persons I know.  I love her laugh!  She is the one that has that laugh that can make anyone laugh!  She completes me.  Have you ever had a friend that just knows you?  Can complete a thought?  Make you feel better and is just there?  I have found that in her.  I also must say that I have a handful of friends like that. 
Diana and her family are some of the most forgiving people I have ever met.  They do not hold grudges and accept everyone.  I have a lot to learn from them.  They are so good to be around.  Diana comes from a large family and has trickled into my family.  I say this because her Aunt married my Uncle several years ago.  When everyone gets together it is always a wild and crazy time.  Everyone looks out for each other and I want that! I want that sense of family.  I miss the days when she and I would drive to the swimming hole, going to yard sales, hitting the thrift stores or any of our crazy adventures. 

I miss the mountains, I miss the rain, I miss the cold weather, I miss the coast, I miss maple bars, I miss camping, I miss biscuits and gravy, I miss the big trees and clean air.
I am so not ready to talk about the things I would miss out here and the heartache I will go through!