Moving, moving, moved

Here I am blogging from my new house. We've only been here for three weeks and it already feels like home. Awesome new roommates, awesome home with room for gardening, cooking, hosting dinner parties, and even space for a craft room - if it ever stops being the storage room.

It's been a stressful month though, packing, moving, an-out-of-the-blue job offer, and a very traumatic pet illness and loss in the middle of it all. I'm still kinda blown away by how much my life has changed in such a short time.

No crafting or creating has gotten done yet, it's taken all I've had just to stay sane and meet my most basic obligations. But I thought I'd show you pictures of my smallest stash all packed up. Yup, all of my yarn hobbies (knitting and crocheting) fit into a wine box, with my active projects in a small bag (not pictured). In the top picture I've got my needles on top of my tiny yarn stash, which is on top of my few books and leaflets.

The filled box:

Three lovely yarns that were in lovely balls in my project bag. Then my parent's Goldendoodle came along and decided to cuddle them (when he misses a person he finds and cuddles soft objects that belong to them - usually socks or underwear). He is a very enthusiastic cuddler as you can see. None of the yarn is actually damaged, just tangled. Seems like a visit to the yarn winder at my LYS is in order.

Hearts for Heather's mom

Last Friday Heather's mom went in for surgery for breast cancer. Her family made and sent heart pins out for everyone to wear on that day in support and love. They are an amazing family! Some were headed to me, but Heather warned me that due to a Canada Post "issue" they wouldn't arrive on time.

Well that just wouldn't do. A heart pin was needed!

Then I remembered a crochet pattern I was noodling about with around Valentine's Day:

Just needed safety pin:

A bit lopsided, certainly not the official "breast cancer pink" but it's a heart worn with love and pride and support for the woman who brought one of my best friends into this world.

Project notes:

Pattern: Mini crochet hearts (free!)
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter cotton in a pinkish-red. I learned I am not a fan of using cotton yarn with my metal crochet hooks.
Hook size: various. Try a few and see what works best with your yarn and unique tension abilities.
Comments: super, super quick pattern to do (its less than 20 stitches, including the starting chain), but tension really really matters if you want it to look like a heart. Hence why mine aren't close to the perfect hearts seen in the pattern.

I've made 5 so far, the progression is kinda amusing. My first attempt looks more like a real heart than a symbolic one:

Found it!

Woot! Found the missing crochet hook.

Was doing a Downward Facing Dog and admiring the upside-down view instead of concentrating on finding inner peace. Spied the little bugger waaaay underneath a couch. Yoga fail is a crafting win.

And now my anal-retentive self is no longer twitchy when looking at the gap in my crochet hook roll.

The last Christmas present

Shortly after Christmas Heather mentioned needing to finish making my gift because I had "already ruined one part of it" and was on my way to ruining the second. Needless to say, I was puzzled since I hadn't been making anything for myself that I could remember. And felt a bit guilty at having accidentally participated in the "ruining" of anything. I'm only a destructive person in video games. But Heather didn't seem genuinely upset with me, so I didn't worry. Much.

Then it was in the mail! Squee!

I stalked the post office daily. Have I mentioned I love getting packages?

Then it arrived and I had the biggest grin preparing to open the padded envelope. She made me a gorgeous holder for crochet hooks. I'm so blown away and touched that she considered me a sew-worthy friend. Crochet is a very new hobby for me (I picked it up accidentally in December) so aside from a set of hooks, and stitch markers bummed off my grandmother, I really have no crochet "stuff" to speak of.

A little tour:

It is long, with tons of room for more hooks, and adorable little pockets for notions. She knows my favorite colours almost better than I do.

I apparently ruined part of the present by going out and buying a basic set of hooks before Christmas - in my defense they weren't on my Christmas list and I'm not at all used to anyone in my life thinking to get my crafty supplies unless I specifically and repeatedly ask.

Personally I don't think the present was ruined at all.

She tucked all kinds of useful notions in the pockets. I'm particularly enchanted with the large grey needles with the loops - they look so useful for sewing in the tails of bulky yarns.

The entire thing is beautifully made, far better than I would have done.

I'll be putting that claim to the test soon. Like the awesome enabling friend she is, Heather included the rest of the fabric in the envelope. So of course now I need to make a matching holder for my knitting needles.

Post Script

In getting the lovely model to pose for the picture we heard a clatter as one of the hooks fell out. It's large and purple and shiny and didn't sound like it fell far so we finished with the photo shoot before beginning to search. Well now we can't find it anywhere, and it's in a pretty uncluttered room. We've hunted high and low - nothing. It's not like looking for a needle in a haystack; it's a freaking purple crochet hook on a floor.

And then there were 7....