What have I been up to?

Recently finished: 2nd test loom of block #3 for the Project Afghan on the Kiss Loom, Denise's Pinwheel Blanket, and 4 preemie hats (crocheted).

WIPS: Felted Baguette on Sg WonderLoom, preemie booties (crocheted).

Future plans: Graciela's Sweater class on Kiss Loom Group and Pam's baby bonnet class on the Loom Class group.

I have been taking on too much stuff lately. I don't even have time to design blocks for the afghan class, let alone design the ideas for other patterns that are floating around in my head. So I have decided that I need to stop doing LALs. Now, I know that is gonna be way too hard to make myself do b/c everything seems way too cool and I really want to do them. But, it is interfering with my own personal creativity that isn't getting out. This is some heartbreaking stuff here, ya'll! REALLY HEARTBREAKING!!!!

I have also been taking more pictures of nature, now that Spring has decided it will be sprung. (Takin' its precious time this year, huh?) Here are some pics that I have accumulated over the past couple of weeks.

A cool little break in those really bad storms from a week and a half ago.

The moon shining one night.

This rainbow was taken on Thursday evening. I saw the sun peaking out from the west but it was still raining so I snatched my camera and literally ran outside to find the rainbow. It was really the most gorgeous rainbow I had ever seen.

Sun shining through the trees with their new leaves. :D

And this pic is of Lady Tru lovin' on her pinwheel blankie. :D

The Project Afghan class has settled down considerably from the first week. :D I am assuming that it isn't b/c the patterns are getting easier, but b/c everyone got the hard questions out of the way the first time around? At least, that is what I hope. Everyone appears to be really enjoying themselves and that is an amazing feeling. Well, I am gonna run, gotta make 4 pairs of preemie booties today...and keep my eye on the class. Thanks for stoppin' by for a while. :)

Karen is having a contest!!!!

First off, let's say that I am never gonna be as cool as her (yes, I know that this sucking up won't affect my chances of winning the contest..I am only being honest! :P)
Ok, so one of my best friends, Karen Gielen (all the way up in freezing MN where it is snowing), is having a contest on her blog. Here is the link so that you can go get into the action: Cre8tive KJ's Patterns though I wish I could be the ONLY contestant. She will be giving away a Dell P-Ditty MP3 player! I don't have an mp3 player and want one sooooo badly and it would be awesome to finally get one because I want to listen to my Spanish lessons (yes, I am taking Spanish...again. :P)
You guys will love her patterns as well so make sure that you check out those. And, as I am sure she is praying for it, send her some warm weather vibes. She gets tired of hearing how warm it is down here in MS (cough, 72 degrees at 8am this morning, cough) :D
I LOVE YOU, KAREN!
(I know....doesn't affect my chances, but a girl can try. :D)

Why are you still reading?! GO!!!

Back from Arkansas

I didn't get as much looming/crocheting done as I had planned, but there are about 4 1/2 preemie hats finished. :D
My mom is now 50 years old. LOL! And my 26th b-day is in less than a month (May 2nd). The kids had tons of fun playing with their cousin, Baby Dylan, and Dylan's big brother (my sis's stepson) Kenny. They wrestled with my little brother as well. Got lots of MeMe and PawPaw time in. But neither slept very well. Lady Tru barely slept. :( Now the kids and I are a little runny nosed and stuff, but I figure that while we were gone over the weekend, something pollen-wise must have happened here. No biggie.
Since it would take forever to post all of my pics, I will try to post a few here and there, but for now let's do some random nature shots (I am one of the worst at seeing something and jerking out my camera to take a pic....just 'cause I can!) and a few of my parents with the kids.

The sun finally peeks through the clouds at almost sunset. Arkansas has had a rough last few weeks with flooding and storms. Good thing my parents live in the foothills of the Ozark Mountain range and on top of a hill. :D

One of my favorites b/c you don't catch my dad that often in a pic, let alone with Sir Thade and Lady Tru. :D

Mountains in the distance (don't laugh! I know that the Rockies and the Smokies are much larger! I know.....)

Nemisis and little Gandolph. Nemi will play fetch with a ball or frisbee until she literally falls down from exhaustion. :D Poor Gandolph couldn't get a chance to fetch, even if his mouth was big enough for the ball, so he just chased her everywhere. LOL!

I love this pic of Sir Thade standing by a tree. He was watching the little frogs jump into the water. :D

Kenny and Lady Tru sitting together.

A redbud tree blooming. :) Random pic, I know.

Beautiful sunset pic from Saturday evening. :D

The bonfire that my dad made for the kids on Saturday evening.

My Mama and the boys. :D

Me and my Princess....looking for froggies to kiss and turn into princes. LOL!

And are pics of my bootie from Bethany's bootie class given last week! I bought some prettier yarn to use on the next one. Couldn't find the wool needle that Bethany suggested, but I will continue on that search! :D I really had fun making this bootie. It was challenging, as well. And challenges are always good. I learned some new stuff and she designed them in such a way, I don't think I would have ever been able to do myself. :) Bethany gets 5 gold stars from me! :D I can't wait to see what her next class is gonna be. :D

Next week will start Jenny's afghan block class, then the following week will be mine. :) I still have people thanking me for the last session. Feel good to be appreciated. My mom is very proud of me. And that makes it that much better, you know.
In case any of you missed my post on the 'Loomer's Break Room', I am very proud of both of my parents. I would have expected my dad to say something like I was cheating by using a loom instead of needles to knit, but he never did. He was watching me pull down the fabric from the inside of my Kiss Loom and asked me, "Whatca' makin'? A sock?" I looked at him thoughtfully and said, "No, it is a preemie hat. But I am very proud of you for figuring out that I could make socks on the loom." He turned around and said that it just looked like a tube sock and he figured they would be pretty easy to make and I tried to point out that if he looked very closely at his socks he would see the seem for the turned heel on it and that it really wasn't that easy, but it is doable. I was still so happy to have had a conversation like that with him. However small. Then my mom got home from work and she and I were talking to my sis' stepson, Kenny. He is 2 and at that stage of pointing and questioning a lot. I was telling him stuff like 'yarn', 'loom', 'hat', etc. He looked at my mom and pointed to my loom and said, "ooom". She said, "Yes, Kenny. Robin is knitting." This was coming from a former needle knitter and crocheter. Those two instances just made my whole weekend. :D
Well, I will leave ya'll with that for now. :) I missed everyone so much! LOL!

Preemie hats from last quarter. I think that is 14 loomed hats and 8 crocheted.

PLEASE NOTE: One of my best friends is walking in the March for Babies and needs sponsor money! You can find a badge on the top of my right side bar so that you can help me sponsor her. I ask that you donate anything you can...though I gave $5. I remember when her little niece was born at 23 weeks and had a congenital heart defect on top of the premature birth. Everyone was praying for her and it was all very scary. That was about 2 years ago and Amanda is now a very strong and active little girl! One of my motivations to make preemie items, for sure. :D