A Rose is a Rose

A friend's birthday is coming up rather quickly so I got to work and made this smaller version of the same rose pattern I have hanging in my bathroom window. Finished it early last evening and really wanted to take the picture when the sun was shining because the bright sunlight really causes the colors to be much more brilliant. But we're in for a few cloudy days here and her birthday is tomorrow!

Stained Glass Slideshow

Welcome to the slideshow of my emerging stained glass creations. It is updated as new projects are completed. Included here are my very first projects, gifts that I will give and a few made for others to give, and some pieces - well - I would find very hard to part with.

Stained Glass by Brenda
Updated: 1 December 2009

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Finally Finished

It sure feels like this afghan took a long time to complete - maybe because I was on a crocheting marathon yesterday with the goal of getting it done and my hands are really feeling it this morning. Or maybe it's because I did not take breaks to work on different projects along the way - like stained glass as I did with the previous afghan. At any rate, I finished this latest one around 10:00 last night and am glad since there are a few more gifts to make in the next 20 or so days.

To One and All...

The Next Project

It's been a busy week with appointments and what not so I haven't taken the time to post here. The weather up until late yesterday has been unseasonably warm and gorgeous. Then...the rain started and it's much cooler today. The dogs and I have been taking daily walks in the pasture (not today in the rain) but we will take a hiatus from that - at least in the pasture - for the next week since gun deer hunting season opens this weekend and I don't want to be too close to the woods. Yesterday I still spotted the Eastern bluebirds!

I began working on this latest afghan late last week and am now half done with the motifs. This one will be a Christmas gift.

Ta Daaaaaaaa!

It was really late last night by the time I turned out the lights but...the afghan is finally done (well, there are still some yarn ends to weave in on the back side)! I think I could have finished it sooner had I not taken breaks to make other things - stained glass and a few other crochet projects. I even have the dog's Christmas gifts finished: croched coats that will be sure to help keep them warm come those cold winter days (and nights). When I have more time, I'll do an updated project slide show.


I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I looked out the window. There, perched on the clothesline posts were...Eastern bluebirds! SEVEN of them! They fluttered around the back yard for a while, even checking out the bird houses. The last time I saw them was three weeks ago and I figured that was their last stop here before heading south. Don't they know it's November and this is Wisconsin??? The weather has been really mild of late. Gosh, on Saturday the high was 68 degrees! I hope these are signs of a mild winter this year. Well, one can always hope, right?

Still Crocheting...Honest!!!

Well, it's the day of the big game. But we have to wait until 3:15 (CST) for it to start. It was originally scheduled for noon but that stupid baseball world series caused the time change. Anyway, I'm ready - have my green shirt on and it appears to be helping the Eagles beat the Giants big time so far (not that I'm all that interested in who wins that game buy hey, it is football day and it would feel really strange not to be watching a game while I wait for THE game to start). Hope the "good luck" of the wearing of the green continues into the Packer game...especially today.

Okay, so it's football day and that means I must be crocheting....and I AM! Work on the afghan continues and I just finished attaching the fourth row of squares. Only three more rows (33 squares) to go until I can work on the border.

And Another...

Am continuing to work on that afghan but have to admit I can crochet the squares only so long and then have to find something else to do for a day or two. So...on Tuesday I started work on another stained glass piece. Yep...another rectangular one and I finished it this morning. It's just about the same size as the last one.

I sure wish it were a sunny day today because the purple in it looks so much darker than it did when I held it up to bright sun light. Oh well... When I attach the chain at the top corners this one too will hang in one of our windows. And again, I haven't decided which one yet.

Another Stained Glass

I've had this pattern sitting on my craft table for over a year mostly trying to decide if I really like it and whether to make it a much larger piece. Well...a couple of days ago I finally did decide to make it as is and set about working on it. Even with it being a cloudy and rainy day today I think the colors show up pretty nicely in this purple heart. Unfortunately the tree in the background outside dulls the yellow glass I used for the floweri it really is a much brighter color. Oh well...


It measures 15" x 10" and is the largest piece I've done - in size not in number of glass pieces. After I attach the chain at each top corner it will hang in one of the windows just haven't decided which one yet.

I'm really liking working on square and rectangular pieces. And the mini power miter saw really works slick for cutting the metal edging.

The Next Project

After finishing Simon's sweater I began yet another afghan. I keep finding cute, free patterns in the yarn aisles. When finished it will have seven rows of eleven motifs surrounded by nine border rows. I'm not sure if this one will be a gift or if I'll keep it. I like the color combinations and how it's looking as I put it together. Have another stained glass pattern ready to go and will probably work on marking and cutting the glass later today.


The other day I was traveling to a friend's house and spotted this eagle's nest (always nice to have the camera handy). It's about 6 or 7 miles from our house and near the Branch river so we don't usually see eagles flying around home. But Dan said on Sunday afternoon he saw two eagles soaring above the barn.

The Packers Must Be Playing because I'm Crocheting

One thing I can do while the football game is on is crochet. And... if I crochet while the Packers are playing, they do well (not that I'm superstitious or anything). Anyway, they shut out the Lions - YEAH! - and I got Simon's sweater done.

Back to Stained Glass

Yesterday I got a little tired of seeing the pattern and glass laid out for a project I've been meaning to get to for months. Getting a sale postcard in the mail from the stained glass studio was just the push I needed to get back to making some pieces. I headed to the studio and came home with several interesting pieces of glass.

Before supper I cut out the glass and later in the evening I ground them into shape. This morning I wrapped them with foil and soldered it all together. It was a bit tricky to get a good picture because I had already hung the rose bud in the bathroom window - it's secured to the window frame, the window is above the shower surround and the darn shower curtain kept getting in the way! Anyway, here it is:

Finally Finished

Last evening I finally finished the sandy print colored afghan. It was a huge project and did get somewhat boring as the pattern of shells repeated the same two rows for 121 rows! I do like how it turned out though. It's also quite a large piece at 72" X 56".

Keepin' Busy

That afghan in the sandy shades yarn is coming along nicely. There are about 24 or so rows left to crochet before the border can be worked on. If I have the whole evening to crochet, I can get about 10 rows done. So...the finished product will take a while yet.

Meanwhile, for a change of pace, I made (and just finished, except for her apron, this afternoon) another of those cat plastic bag holders. Just have to make her apron yet and will get that done this evening. This one will be a gift for a friend who has three house cats.

Interim Project

I didn't want to take the afghan I've been working on along camping over the weekend because it's getting quite large, so I packed up some yarn left over from other projects and started on an interim project: a cat that holds those plastic bags you get at the grocery store. Because it rained at times during the weekend, I got most of it done and finished it up today. When plastic bags are added they fill up and poof our the skirt. Not sure if I'll hang it in the kitchen in the house or in the camper. Right now it's in the kitchen...

And here's a picture of the cat with her skirt full of bags:

Another Done and One in Progress

A while back I bought some variegated yarn without a project in mind, just because I liked the colors. It's called painted desert. A week or so ago I came across a rather unique pattern for a lap throw and set about making it, using "Aran" color for the boarder. The size is true to it's name as this is definitely not a large throw. By the way, all three of those watermelon placemats are done too!

Then the other day, as I was scanning the yarn display at the store (again), I was drawn to a lovely color of worsted weight yarn called "Sandy Print" and of course just had to buy some. Here's a picture of the beginning of the full-sized afghan I'm currently crocheting:

We finally, after a whole three weeks of dry weather, got some rain last night. It wasn't much, but enough to perk up the garden and lawn again. The tomatoes in the garden are abundant this year and I've been making lots and lots of juice with more to come. I think by the time the frost decides to hit this area I'll have enough juice to last till next year's harvest is ready for processing.

A few years ago we built a raised flower bed along the west side of the deck and talked about building another one to surround the rest of the deck. Well, that project will get done this fall as all the materials for it were gotten yesterday. Just when it will get done is up for grabs but it will definitely be before the snow flies!

This weekend we'll be going camping again. The campground where we'll be is holding "Halloween Weekend" complete with trick-or-treating. Simon is sure to have fun and...it will be so good to get away for a couple of days after this very busy week.

Today's Project

Been a rather quiet day on the homefront. Ran into town to pick up yarn for another project and to have my picture taken. Now...why on earth would I have my picture taken? Well...some of my articles from my Awakenings blog are going to be published in our local newspaper at times and the editor wants to put my picture along side them.

I found a pattern for some cute watermelon placemats on the web yesterday and decided they might look nice in the camper. So today I started and completed one. Think I'll make two more since it's usually only me, Dan and Simon who go camping. Then there will be one for each of us.

The Next Project Completed

Over the past week with sitting in the hospital and then staying home to be close by in case dear mother-in-law needed anything or started feeling poorly again (which did happen again last Thursday requiring another trip to the ER), I've had a whole lot of time for crocheting.

I started this afghan early last week while she was in the hospital for the second time and we were waiting for the doctor to make rounds. Working on it was definitely something that filled up the "lag time". Last evening the last stitch was crocheted.

Still Have Busy Fingers

Been a busy and hectic couple of weeks but... I have finished another project: A baby afghan for a friend's daughter.


The "stuff" that has been the source of the hectic and busy couple of weeks was the hospitalization (twice) of my mother-in-law with heart difficulties. We spent lots and lots of time (hours and hours each day) with her at the hospital (at her request) and finally today she was discharged home. Life sure deals a whole lot of twists and turns at times...

Finally Finished!

Last evening I finally finished crocheting the motifs for the Christmas Star afghan, sewing them in place and crocheting the border all around. Then...I stayed up pretty darn late to work in all the loose ends on the back. I do like how it turned out and it will make a nice, festive addition to the holiday decorations this year.

Concurrently I've been working on a baby afghan to give as a gift to the daughter of a friend. It's not far enough along to make taking a picture worth it yet.

Progressing

Still making progress on the Star afghan. Last evening I was able to complete the entire first row of red stars and the left border. Only one green and two and a half red stars left and, of course, the rest of the right side border and the couple of green rows that will go around the whole thing.

The star afghan is coming along nicely. By my estimation, without actually counting, I think I'm over half done now. Here's the latest picture.


The exciting news of late is I got notification this morning that one of the articles from my Awakenings blog got published on the Watershed web site. Watershed is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba (yeah, Canada), dedicated to integrating Spirit and Learning and contains many good articles and book and movie reviews. Their url is: http://www.watershedonline.ca/whatsnew/whatsnew.html
(After clicking on the above link, scroll down to see the link to my article "Blind Spots".)

Star Update

Progress on the Christmas Star afghan is moving along steadily. Lately the hot and humid weather has keep me indoors in the AC comfort quite a bit and that along with the evenings have given me lots of crochet time. Guess I could have laid it out straighter but...you get the idea. The green motifs on the right are part of the right side border.

Moving Along...

Yesterday I wanted a change of pace so I headed out to the retreat center, where I'll be leading groups with reflections and retreats, for a few hours and for lunch. I took along the sketchy notes I wrote late one night for the class I'll be leading in September and managed to get a good working outline, timeline and the hand-outs done. Amazing what a change of scenery can do for my productivity in that area.


Then last evening, after mowing the lawn (thank you Mother Nature for the rain and the once again green and growing grass), I was back at it working on the Christmas star afghan. Today I sewed last night's motifs in place which now includes part of the left-hand border. (The sides will be straight and the top and bottom will remain zig-zagged.) More motifs will probably be made tonight. I'm liking how it's shaping up. When I have all the motifs made and sewn in place, a dark green edging will be crocheted around the whole afghan. Wonder how long it will take me to finish this project...

Keeping Busy

Yesterday I took Simon to a movie but...before picking him up I just had to stop and pick up more yarn. I had a pattern in mind and did buy the yarn for that but while I was deciding on a color, I found this Christmas Star afghan pattern (one of those free ones that they have hanging by the yarn). So...I bought the yarn for this one too! Last evening I started working on a few of the motifs and got the red star finished. Today I treated Sara to a movie - we went to see "Julie and Julia" and it was hilarious and great! Wow, that Meryl Streep is quite the versitle actress! Late this afternoon and this evening I went back at it on the afghan and got this far:



There will be another row of red stars to the right of the green ones and a border around the whole thing. The pattern says the finished product will be 45" x 72". I'm thinking this one is going to be a keeper.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain...

This is the second day in a row of rain here but it is so very welcome. The lawn is actually green again after being that all too familiar July crunchy brown for way longer than a month! Sure glad we decided to go camping last weekend and not this one :~) The campground we were at celebrated Christmas in July complete with a decorations contest (I just took along a string of our outside blue icicle lights to hang on the canopy), a golf cart parade, and a quite good fireworks display on Saturday night. The days were warm, but not too hot, and the night cool - just right to catch some good sleep. Simon and Dan did a whole lot of swimming and some fishing; Pugs and I went on long walks. The campground covers 30 mostly wooded acres so there was a lot to see on our walking ventures. For a little while on Saturday afternoon, Dan and Simon took a break to play cards for a while - three games to determine the "all time winner". The final score: Simon 2; Dan 1.

This past week I continued working on the moss green afghan and finally finished it last night. This is one project I'm glad is finished. It was a pretty simple pattern and got a bit monotonous to be repeating the same row over and over and over again. But I like how it turned out and think it just may be someone's Christmas gift this year.
(Click on the picture to see the detail better, then click the back arrow on your browser to return here.)

Other than that, I've been tending to the garden, harvesting some beans, beats and small zucchini (to cut up and add to my pasta sauce); trying to keep a handle on the house clutter (sometimes a nearly impossible task); and gathering ideas and working out an outline for my first offering at the retreat center slated for Sept. 19th. Since this one is so "soon" it will be advertised in local papers but I think at some time between now and then it will appear on the center's website. So...I've added a link to that site if anyone is interested in checking it out.

The Latest...

I'm really enjoying all this crocheting I've been doing. It fills the empty spaces of the days and evenings but more importantly it keeps me focused on something productive and something other than TV reruns. The latest project is an afghan made with a nice, soft worsted weight yarn.


We'll be off camping this weekend with Simon. I'm really looking forward to a change in scenery. The campground we will be at is celebrating "Christmas in July" this weekend. It should prove to be a weekend filled with some fun activities, should we wish to partake. There is some rain in the forecast but...it promises to be that "hit and miss" sort of thing we've been having the past couple of weeks. So...I'm hoping for more of the miss rather than the hit in the rain department - at least for the weekend. We're getting enough rain today to last us for a while.


On the job front, which has been nil since January, I was very recently offered and have accepted an invitation to work with a local retreat center. I'll be offering workshops, facilitating retreats and days of reflection, providing spiritual direction, and giving presentations. It was just THE opportunity I've been dreaming of.

All Done

And now the throw is finished! I'm not sure I would have made it any larger since the stitches got a bit too hard on these old arthritic fingers. But I do like how it turned out and it will sure be a warm one to cozy under come those cold, frigid winter days and nights.

Last evening we finally got a couple of rain showers. A much needed dose, even if still all to brief, of natural moisture for my gardens and the lawn. All the plants looks much more perky this morning. As the second wave of rain was passing, the sun poked out in the west and a full rainbow graced the sky. A beautiful sight to feed and calm the spirit!

Busy Fingers

I've continued to work on the camouflage throw and actually have three panels done. But I took a picture when only two were done to show how they look joined together. Unfortunately the amount of yarn needed was not correct on the pattern instructions and I have run out and it's out of stock at the store for now! Hopefully today the store will be getting in a new supply and I will be able to finish this project soon.



Meanwhile, I got more yarn, the color is called "Orchid", and made another wrap. Just finished it late last night.





Tomorrow I have a planning meeting regarding a new work opportunity I have accepted. More on that later...(when I know more of the details).

This is Easier...

For convenience sake, I put all my crochet projects made from March of this year through today into a slide show. Enjoy...

More Projects

I finally got the camera out to take pictures of the crochet projects I've completed and the one I'm currently working on. My fingers have really been busy! The sweater I made for Amelia was a big hit! We celebrated her second birthday with cake and ice cream last evening. Though she has a cold, she was quite sociable and had much birthday excitement!


This shawl is made of worsted weight in a variegated color known as Williamsburg. The pattern is the same as the green and brown cotton one I previously made.



Here's another "hugs of comfort" shawl I made. The color is called "Spring Meadow". This will be a gift for another friend.




Now, here was a fun one to make! It has a slit to insert one end through so that the shawl stays in place. I finished it two nights ago and used a worsted weight baby yarn for softness and I really liked the blue-pinkish brown tweed color.



My current project is a throw, again made of worsted weight yarn, in variegated camouflage and linen colors. The pattern makes the work quite thick so this will definitely be a warm one come winter.


(Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view, and then click the back arrow on your browser to return to this blog.)

Update

Well yes, I did have the afternoon to crochet and, yes, I did finish Amelia's sweater. I think it shaped up pretty well.
The Eastern bluebirds are very busy this afternoon getting the nest ready for the second laying of eggs in their new house. As I was watching them for a few minutes, I noticed a "strange" bird sitting on top of the clothes line crossbar. So I got out the binoculars and took a closer look. At first glance I thought it was the orchard oriole that has been frequenting the hummingbird feeder. Then I saw not one but two heads! On closer examination, they were barn swallows. Now, I had never before seen barn swallows perched...and for so long! So I got the camera and zoomed in. To my delight, the picture I snapped was of mother swallow feeding her young!

A New Project

I've still been keeping my fingers busy with crocheting. Have completed two more shawls; both will be given as gifts. Haven't taken pictures of them yet but...there are pictures of others where I've used the same patterns already posted.

Sweet Pea's (Amelia's) second birthday is coming up next Thursday and I've begun making a sweater for her in her favorite colors: pink and purple.

Just finished the back...here it is:

More Crocheting

I'm hooked...literally! I've been working on something crochet every day! Here are the latest projects:


This is a half-done triangular shawl (which is now finished) done in a cotton yarn. It is a gift for my friend who lives in Florida. Since the weather there is so much warmer year-round than here in Wisconsin, the lightness of the cotton will not look or feel out of place there.


This is another shawl I made with cotton yarn - and I think I'm going to keep it for myself. The picture on the left shows the entire piece and the one on the right shows the detail better. It's definitely a Wisconsin shawl because the name of the yarn color is "camouflage"!

Been A While

I sit here today enjoying the cooler and less humid weather. This past week it was in the 90's and very humid. A couple of days there was even a poor air quality warning for our area. That basically meant it wasn't the best of conditions for the elderly or those with chronic diseases to be outside for very long. I was more than content to stay inside with the AC running.

Last weekend we went camping and took Simon along. He and Dan spent all of Saturday swimming in the pond at the campground while I read a novel and did some walking. We took Pugs along too - he was great company. Max stayed by Dan's mom, just like he did the first time we went camping this summer. He's way too boisterous and loud for camping in my book.

Been working on crocheting some. Am currently making a shawl to give a friend as a birthday gift. I love the yarn I'm working with. It's basically a typical worsted weight but is really soft and I'm really fond of the color: Ivory Tweed. When I took the picture it was about half done. But I think I'll make it a bit longer than the directions indicate as my friend is on the tall side.

My vegetable garden is doing very well so far this year even though we haven't gotten much rain. I went out this morning and pulled weeds. To my surprise and delight there weren't many. Sure feels good to have the time to tend to keeping the weeds under control. I noticed a few blossoms on some of the tomato plants. I can almost taste that first tomato - the one that doesn't make it into the house.

For the Birds

It's been a super busy day at the hummingbird feeder - Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, and even the hummingbirds have been battling for a drink all day long! So...I snapped a few more pictures and made this slide show. Enjoy!

Of Late

Here are a few of the crochet projects I've done over the past few weeks for a little crafting variety amid working on the preemie caps.

These are two shawls I completed. The brown variegated one was done with Homespun yarn using a V-stitch and is so soft and comforting. I did make another just like this one in a variegated blue/teal for a friend but sent it off before I took a picture of it. The green flecked one is a shell-type stitch and I made it because I liked the yarn color with the brown flecks.

Last night I finished this trellis and diamond afghan. Been a looooooong time since I crocheted such a big project. Usually it only takes me one pattern repetition to have the sequence memorized but...this one was a little more intricate and I had to consult the pattern beyond half way through the project.

Here's a close-up view of the afghan detail.

Both the shawls and the afghan will be welcome warmth for cool camping nights. Next weekend is our "virgin" camping weekend with our "new" used camper. We're not going far, but far enough away to have some peace and quiet and lots of time for relaxation.

Wednesday afternoon I made my annual spring trip to the cemetery in Algoma to visit and tend to my dad's grave site. It was a very warm 86 degrees when I left home and according to the weather report Tuesday night, the temps along the lakeshore were supposed to be in the 70's. Yeah right. When I got to Algoma it was a mere 52 degrees with a strong wind blowing off the lake. It was nice to see my winter decorated Christmas tree made it through the cold and snow and still looked good. This year I planted a rose bush with beautiful deep pinkish red roses (the tag on the bush said it was extra-hardy and needed no special care - I hope it does well) and added some new planted flowers. I was delighted to see the day lilies I had planted last spring coming up again. On the way home I stopped to add floral decorations to Grandma and Grandpa's grave in Whitelaw and Jeremy's too. And when I got home, it was still 86 degrees!