Spring, My Favorite Time of Year

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I always look so forward to the first spring flowers, it is like a little promise of things to come.  A few days ago the first flowers in my yard started to make their grand appearance.  The sweet, humble little crocus, heralds in the new season.

I have decided that I don’t have near enough of them around.

This next fall, I am going to add a few HUNDRED more, I love them so much.

What is your favorite part of spring?

Learning to Crochet

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After my last post a bloggy friend of mine made this comment:

You are a novice??? That is beautiful–it looks SO soft too! A soft yellow would be beautiful I think too–I hope you are able to find some. Thinking of you–I know this time is difficult. Hang in there!
Blessings,
Aimee
PS: Was it hard to learn to crochet? My grandma did it and made beautiful items—I would love to learn how.

(My newest project)
I thought I would take a moment to answer her question.  I didn’t think it was very hard to learn to crochet, but it did take (and still does) some time and brain power.  I grew up watching my Great Grandma crochet, it seemed that whenever she was sitting down she had a hook and yarn in her had.  I always regretted not learning the art of crochet from her.  I just never really took the time.  However, as a small girl I was very interested in any type of handi work.  I taught myself the basics of sewing (and that is about as far as I got, the basics!) and I learned how to do a simple chain stitch and the single crochet stitch.  I wasn’t until about two years ago that I was wandering the isles of my local fabric store and found myself in the yard section that I had a burning desire to crochet.

I bought a basic “how-to” book and some yarn to practice with and I taught myself  the basic stitches and how to read a crochet pattern.  Once I felt like I have that down I bought a book of patterns for baby blankets and I started on my first blanket.  It was a disaster!  Lop sided, too many stitches, and too small.  (I hadn’t yet learned to appreciate the need to count my stitches!)  I gave it to my sister when she had a baby and she claims to love it, even though I cringe (now) every time I think of that sad little blanket!

I have made a few more blankets and done a  lot of practicing my stitch work and reading patterns.  I still have to really think when reading a pattern, it still confuses me a bit at the first, but it is getting easier and I can usually figure it out.  I love that I can create beautiful baby blanket for those special little people in my life, and I love remembering my Great Grandma while I crochet, she always made a special little blanket for every new baby in the family.

So to answer your the question.  I don’t think it is hard to learn to crochet, it does take patience and practice, but it is well worth the effort when something beautiful is created by your own hands.

(I don’t know if you can tell by this picture, but is has little hearts in the stitch)

First Anti-Boredom Project Finished

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There is nothing going on in my life right now.
I am just quietly gestating,
and trying not to go crazy.
(although there was a bit of drama, I will tell you about it all later)
I finished the baby blanket I showed you in the post before and I am on to the second, but I had to post pictures.  I am pretty proud of how it turned out, I still consider myself a novice crocheter, but I am getting better and patterns are getting easier to read.

I am having a hard time finding yarn I like locally, I want a really soft yellow and I just can’t seem to find it.  So I have a question, do any of you crochet, and where is your favorite place to buy yarn on line?

Thanks for listening.

What To Do?

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I have been doing this walking bed rest thing for a week now, and in some ways it is really nice, in others, it is driving me up the wall!

It is nice because I am not confined to bed.  I can get out, go to church, go to dinner, be with the family, cook and do light housekeeping.  It is driving me up the wall because I can’t do anything heavy or strenuous or tire myself out.  Basically, I get up, do light housekeeping, maybe some small loads of laundry then spend the rest of the day sitting, when I want to be cleaning closets and getting ready for Baby.
Which sounds pretty nice, right!
It is pretty nice, but sometimes I get restless and a little depressed.
I have started to crochet to pass some of the time, and it makes me feel like I am doing something to get ready for Baby.
Have you ever been on bed rest? 
What did you do to keep your spirits up and pass the time?

Walking Bed Rest

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Walking bed rest, sounds like a bit of an oxymoron doesn’t it?
Well I am here to tell you that there is such a thing, as described and named by my doctor.  It isn’t too bad actually, I have been on full bed rest before, and I think I like this walking bed rest a bit better.
On Tuesday we had the typical 20 week ultrasound done, we found out that we are having a girl (that will make five!) and that she is wonderfully formed and very healthy.  We couldn’t be happier and are so thankful for her health. (And no,we are not disappointed that it isn’t a boy, she is what is needed for our family)  However, we found that there may be some problems with me.  Two to be exact.
First, I have a superficial blood clot in my upper leg area.  This honestly doesn’t concern me much, I have had superficial blood clots before, when I had my leg surgeries this summer.  The doctor is going to watch it closely and we are treating it conservatively at this point, with Ibuprofen, hot packs and essential oils.  He also ordered a complete ultra sound of the leg affected, and there are no other clots lurking around and blood flow is good.  I am confident that this will just resolve its self.
Second, they found that I have partial placenta previa meaning that my placenta has partially covered the cervix, which can potentially be very serious.  This is where “walking bed rest” comes in.  I have already had some symptoms of placenta problems (bleeding) so I am supposed to take it easy, as not to jar the placenta anymore.  The instructions were: rest as much as you can, don’t lift anything heaver than a gallon of milk (approx 10 pounds), no heavy cleaning, no vacuuming, don’t let yourself get tired, lay down as much as you can, and no “ahem”.
While this does cramp my style a little, (do you realize how many things weight more than 10 pounds?  like a full grocery cart, or my youngest child), it really isn’t that bad.  Like I said before I have been on full bed rest, and while  I was completely helpless with that, this walking bed rest still gives me a lot of freedom.  I can go places, do most of my household stuff, and take care of most every thing I need to do.  All the other things can be done by my older girls or Dadzoo when he is home.  The hardest part, is to sit down and let them serve.

In four weeks I go back for another ultra sound to see in anything has changed, the placenta can move farther up in the uterus as it expands in pregnancy.  If that is the case, then I am back to normal, and that is what we are praying for, the other scenarios are too scary to even thing about (although I am!).

So if you are carrying something heavy and I am around, and I don’t offer to help, sorry….

walking bed rest!