Latest Crafty Projects

First of all, how cute is this?

If I do say so myself.

That was a set I knitted for our friends' baby who is due at the beginning of October.  I need to find a better photography background because that particular tabletop makes the colors look a little wonky, but you get the idea.

Now I'm working on Christmas.  A couple of months ago, when I found some Lion Brand Homespun on sale in pretty colors, I got it into my head to make blankets for a couple of Christmas presents.  Homespun isn't my favorite yarn, but it's very soft and warm when knitted or crocheted, and has pretty multi-colors that make it interesting looking.

When I taught myself to crochet years ago, I started out making blankets, with varying degrees of success.  The first afghan I made for my mom, and one end of it has the telltale slope inward of the beginner who doesn't know how to properly turn and start a new row.  My first granny square afghan went to my best friend, and then promptly started unraveling because I hadn't yet figured out how to finish off my ends in a way that would hold.

But I got better.  When Jason and I started dating, I crocheted him a deep purple afghan that was cozy and warm and that we still use in the winter.

However, I've discovered that I just don't have the patience to make a whole blanket anymore.  At least not when my spare time for knitting or crocheting is so limited and I want to make sure I get enough things made before Christmas.  I've been trying to get going on an afghan for someone, and I've started it 3 different times. 

The color is called "Ocean" and has lots of pretty blues and greens and purples on a neutral background.  So I thought a ripple blanket would be nice.  I started knitting one. 

Bored.

Then I switched to the crochet version of the pattern, thinking maybe I would be more interested in crocheting after mainly knitting for so many years now.

Bored.  Also, this is taking FOREVER.

So I found a knitted afghan in a cool cable pattern.  I spent a few hours on this one, mostly during road trips in August.  But then I got bored and found myself playing Spider Solitaire on my laptop in the evenings when I should have been knitting.

SO, I've scrapped the afghan idea and am going to make the person in question a fluffy cozy sweater for Christmas.  I started it last night, and I'm already feeling entirely better about the project.  I'll post pictures once it is gifted (ie, after Christmas).

A Day In Rhode Island

{I originally posted this in my healthy living blog, but Jason requested I post it here too, so here you go.}

Jason and I bought too many Groupons this summer!  We got excited when all of the Groupons for the summer activities started coming out in May, and we snapped up a bunch.  Now we're struggling to use them all before they expire.

(For instance, since there was cruddy weather last weekend, I don't think we're going to get to use the stand-up paddleboarding Groupon before it expires. At least we can use the face value for a credit.)

On Saturday, we kayaked all day.  We bought Groupons from Narrow River Kayaks, thinking we would go twice for 4 hours.  Instead, we used both of them and kayaked all day.  Well, we didn't kayak ALL day, but for a long stretch.  Let's just say, today I am still feeling my lats.

My boss recommended this spot to us a few years ago and ever since we've tried to go back at least once a summer.  When you put in, you can either kayak up the river, past the lovely rich peoples' homes and boats, or head down the river to where it flows into the ocean, beach your kayak and play at the beach for awhile.  Since we had tons of time, we headed up the river first.

The thing you should know is that the tide was going out the whole time we paddled upriver.  If we paused for too long, we started going backwards.  We paddled further than we had in the past, and Jason figured we paddled upriver, against the tide and a strongish breeze, for about 2 1/2 miles.  In case you were wondering, that means Jason and I are awesome.

Then we turned around and went to the beach for a couple of hours.  All told, Jason thinks we paddled for 6 1/2 miles.

After we returned the kayaks, we drove to the beach at  Quonochontaug.  We checked out Quonochontaug last Fall, when Jason's brother was visiting, mainly because in the X-Files, it's the place where Mulder's family has a summer home.  And, yes, we are big nerds.

(Dear X-Files writers,  After living in New England for awhile now, I have to question your sense of geography.  Supposedly Mulder grew up on Martha's Vineyard (an ISLAND) and his family summered on the mainland in Rhode Island.  This makes no sense.  What also makes no sense is how Mulder was able to get from DC to Martha's Vineyard (an ISLAND) is just a few hours, no problem, with no thought of things like ferry schedules and such.)

We went for the nerd cachet, but discovered that Quonochontaug is this absolutely beautiful private community.  We also discovered on Saturday that in September, we could just wander around the restricted community beach.

This is a little-known fact about Rhode Island: the beaches are amazingly beautiful, the water is still warm in September, and after Labor Day, no one is around to make you pay for parking, or to keep you off of restricted beaches.

We rounded out the evening with dinner at Aunt Carrie's (which I keep wanting to call Sister Carrie's)  It is apparently a Rhode Island institution, and Jason took his parents there the last time they visited while I was working like a chump.  So good.  SO good!  Scallops of perfection!

Such a perfect Rhode Island day.  Sometimes this state drives me insane, with its corrupt politics and cronyism and bankruptcy, but it really is a lovely place.