Hacky sacks

I made one of these Hacky sacks when another loomer wanted to see it from the snowballs I already made. I still need to try it on my KISS loom. I used the small flower loom. I cast on using Brenda's gather cast on technique(http://www.box.net/shared/qftmvmeww0). Then I knit with worsted weight yarn (two strands as one) for 14 rounds. I used the knit stitch not the e-wrap to make a nice tight stitch. Then I threaded it for the gather cast off and removed it from the loom. Then fill a large new helium style balloon about half full of rice. Tie a knot and put this balloon into another balloon. Then pull the yarn tight and knot it inside by weaving the tail into the ball and out one other stitch. Don't fill it to full or it won't be flexible. They only take 20 minutes each. I used Red Heart Strata. It ended up being 2.5 inches across and high. I have unusally large flowers (aren't they pretty).

Pinwheel Blanket

We worked on this blanket several times over the last year and I finally made one and finished it. It is for a friends new baby. The pattern is from Denise Layman and wasn't as hard as I thought it might have been. I used bright colors since we didn't know if it would be a boy or girl. Plus she likes brights. I bought the yarn Baby bee at Hobby Lobby and used it two strands as one since it is a finer yarn.

snowballs

I had a neat idea this year and decided to do a VBS with Christmas in July as the theme. We called it 'giving not getting'. The children participated in making gifts for this coming Christmas and we will continue to work on them through the fall. I made some fun loom knit snowballs and we played games with them. We made fake 'snow' out of a science kit I found at creative toys and US playthings store in Plano. We also sang traditional songs that the children had never heard.They did so well learning them. These are songs we all grew up with but are no longer allowed in the schools. Hark the Herald Angels sing, Mary did you know.., Joy to the World, Angels we have heard on High, and other songs. We had a great time. Here is a picture of the snowballs before they were taken home.

Good intentions

With all this mess to cope with in my craft room I do all my looming in the Living room. I have 4 or 5 projects going and want to start three more. Please send help. I need the flylady to get calm out of this chaos. And you haven't even seen my husbands mess in the other rooms yet or whats behind the closet door #1, #2, and #3. At least it is beautiful, clean and calm outside. Just to unbearably hot to stay out there long. My sink is polished and shiny though and the laundry is done. Life is to short to get your shorts in a twist over this. I know where most stuff is, just can't reach most of it. This is my full time job. And people say--do you work??? It got this way because I worked. Now to control the beast. One step at a time, one space at a time. I have 9 sewing machines in this house and 5 must go soon. Two will go up to the church and one to my daughter in law and I hope to sell the other 2.The other 4 are different. One is cast iron, one is embroidery, one is a serger and one is my husbands embroidery and sewing combo machine. Maybe someday I will only have one or two of these, just not right at the moment. If I had a storage shed or basement this would not be a problem at all. I know people with much more space have storage trouble. I don't even have a garage so everything is in the house and full up. We do need more space, or get rid of more 'things'. I have trouble parting with some stuff. I still have a few toys from my sons, I even found that I have toddler stuff yet. The big roller coaster of KNEX and electonic battleship should go. It is hard for me to let go. These were so cool. My oldest took most of the LEGO's and gave some to an autistic clinic. I hated that. My dad got that stuff before he died back in the 80's up til 1990. They don't make them anymore. They cost so much back then. We had them all. Big sets, and little ones too. I love Lego's, and they remind me of my dad who died in 1990. I need to let go of that stuff. Put it to use instead of collecting dust. As my neighbors two year old says 'OH MAN!'

There is actually a rug under all that stuff? Some of the floor is now being exposed-gasp--would you believe under that lamp is another cubicle of yarn? It hasn't been seen in over 6 months now. Wonder what yarn it is? I get to be the church storage center and 4 bags are fleece for blankets, a brand new sewing machine under there somewhere for a door prize in August, and a brand new printer of my sons. Also, baby present for a friend, other sons mending and two boxes of books. What a mess. But at least I know what it all is right? I may get new pictures up on the wall when the buffet from the dining room leaves this space (it is hiding there on the right, up against the wall just taking up space too).

Here are the cages of yarn, all full. Still more in the closet. It is multiplying like the tribbles Scottie, save the ship Captain Kirk!
Oh well, I tried. The room was sort of clean for a whole day. I still have two large pieces of furniture to remove and a pegboard to put up. Maybe sometime in my lifetime it will get organized. Maybe not.

yarn cages

Maybe I can tame the stash a bit with this wall of cages. No escaping now you yarn! :-)

Stacked and ready to put up yarn wall of shame. My stash is bigger than even I knew, and look at all those books!!