Crocheting again

I have ripped out the sweater and looking for a different pattern. I have put that on hold, and am working on my easter dress. I'm going to spend most of today working on it. I don't even have one side done yet, but I work better under pressure.
My new boss told me she has tubs of scrap yarn that she will bring to me. I will use it to make more chemo hats, and scraves. As our income increases, and things are caught up, I will buy some off ebay. Walmart has their yarn on sale right now, and I've bought some for christmas presents.
I know this is short, but I need to get somethings done, and start crocheting.

Thoughts for the day

OK, I'm not sure what I'm going to say. I have been crocheting and knitting like mad. I have fallen in love with knitting. The problem is I'm almost out of yarn. With the economy in such bad shape, and our household income decreased, I can't afford to buy any. I've been watching eBay, and think I might buy some there. I have 9-10 chemo hats, a trach scarf, and 1 baby hat done.
I have had to quit cleaning the church for awhile. I got a second job and by Friday I'm wore out. My new job is 12 hour shifts, and I work 3-4 days there, then I still work 1-2 days a week, with the insurance exams. Even though I'm working 40 plus hours a week, I still have all the house work to do, you know woman's work. I get home around 730-800pm and have a sink full of dishes. I still have 4 dogs which means the floors need to be swept daily, which isn't getting done. I probably spend approximately 12 hours a week on insurance exams, so if you figure everything private duty, insurance exam, and housework. I'm working approximately 56 hours or more a week. Oh yeah, and softball season has started, so I'll be helping there when I can, plus going to games. If my husband, who isn't working at all right now, says to me one more time "I'm sorry hon, I just couldn't get myself up to do that." I'm going to strangle him. He doesn't have the gumption to get off his butt to help me, but he doesn't think twice to say I'm bored, I've been sitting around this house all week. I need gas money, I'm going to go for a ride. Then stay out all night drinking, and God knows what.
Anyway, this post isn't about that. My new job does allow time to knit and/or crochet, so I've been taking my stuff with me. I'm working on a sweater for my oldest daughter for Christmas, and a pair of slippers for my youngest daughter. The slippers will be done this weekend. The sweater I have ripped out 3 times, that's part of learning something new. I haven't taken any pictures lately, but will put some up as soon as I do.

Laptop is working

I got my laptop back today. Geek Squad says it's fixed, we'll see. So far today it's working fine, but it worked fine as long as all I was doing was surfing. The problem was when I or my kids tried to watch movies. Later this week I will try to watch a movie and see if it is really fixed.
I am continueing to crochet and knit. I have several chemo hats done. I found a pattern for a neck warmer that will be perfect for a trach scarf. I will be starting that this week. I'm also going to start on my Easter dress, I hope.
I am starting a new job Wed. I will have some free time with this job. I have to thank a dear friend for the job. I will be working 2 jobs, so I don't know yet how much home time I'll have besides sleeping. This job is flexible, and willing to work around my daughters softball schedule. I'll write more about it after I've been working for awhile.

Laptop still down

I haven't been online much as you can see from the time between post. My laptop has been at the geek squad for over a month now. I bought it from best buy. I was having trouble with it shutting down on it's own. I took it in to be worked on. They had to send it off to gateways service center. Gateway sent it back saying it had an after market battery and wouldn't work on it. The battery was a gateway, but the wrong one. Best buy had to replace the battery since they put the wrong one on when I bought it. I stopped last week, they are still waiting for the battery to come in. I doubt I buy anything again from best buy. My last computer from them died after a couple years. Because of this I have loss a job. I was working from home, and need the laptop for the work.
I have been working on chemo hats. I'm trying to use up the yarn I have. The large chucks I have I am making christmas gifts out of. I have also taught myself to knit. I have made 2 chemo hats knitting. I have knitted the peices for a pink elephant for one of my neices for christmas. I'm working on a mouse for the other neice.
I have also been trying to find a job. We are sinking fast, as a lot of people are today. I was going to send out resumes today, but I ran into 2 problems. 1) The library was closed so I counldn't print and copy my updated resume. 2) The mail didn't run today. So I spent the day searching for jobs, working on surveys, and reading forums. I also did some knitting today.

Knitting

I have taken the step to buy a learn to knit kit. I have been working with it for a few days. I have gotten the hang of it, and have started my first project. I have discovered I need to invest more money in it, which I will do soon. The kit came with 2 sets of needles, size 6 & 8, the patterns with the kit requires size 10. That's not real helpful.
I have used the internet to help with my learning. I have a box of old workbasket books. You can't find these anymore. I found a few patterns that are coming back in style, and want to try to make a few things. Some of the patterns in the books are wrote different than what I have learned so far. Not only am I learning something new, but I'm also haveing to read between the lines as well.
When I get my first pattern completed, I'll post how it went with a picture. I'm still working on my Easter dress. I'm going back to it as soon as I figure out knitting. I'm excited about both. I'm trying to make items for christmas, and maybe start making things to put at the flea market. I have several doll patterns that would probably sell well at a flea market. They don't take long to make either.
If I am able to do this I'll post how that goes. For now I'm going back to knitting.

Items completed

Dedication Outfit Prayer Shawl

I know it's been awhile since I posted anything. I've been busy looking for work, and crocheting. I completed a prayer shawl for a baby in Mississippi, you can read about her on the blog boobs,injuries, and dr pepper. Above is a picture of the shawl.

I also finished the dedication outfit for the couple at church. It turned out better than I expected. There is also a picture of it above. I bought this pattern and struggled with it a little. First it was not written in the style I'm use to, then when I finished it, the sweater the neck was too small, and the pants were wide enough to fit a 2 year old. I modified it, and had great results. For the sweater I used a larger hook, which worked out. For the pants I completed changed the pattern. I made the waist and seat according to the direction, then I made the legs individually and sewed them to the seat.

Since finishing these 2 things I have made 5 chemo hats, and 4 pairs of slippers. I am trying to use up the yarn I have before buying more. I am also crocheting my own Easter dress. I have already had to modify it. I will have to buy more yarn for the dress. I hope it turns out as nice as the dedication outfit.

I am also making christmas gifts for this next year. I'm starting now. I decided with the economy the way it is, this would be the best way to go. Plus I can crochet things just as nice as store bought. I am thinking about trying to learn to knit as well. I really like some of the knitting patterns I'm finding online. I thought about buying a teach yourself to knit kit. I know the basics already, I just need to figure out the different stitches and how to follow a pattern.

Chemo Hats

Well, I finished the dedication outfit. My next post I will have the pictures. I have moved on to the chemo hats. I have one started and will finish it tonight. I want to make about 10 then send them to the cancer center. I have a good start, I have one completed and another in the process.
Anyway, Let me tell you why cancer is one of my chosen charities. I have loss several family members to cancer. The one that really hit home, was my husband grandmother. She was a very active woman. She camped every spring, and fished the whole time. In the fall and winter she bowled.
In the spring of 1993, she started having fluid build up on her lung. She was unable to camp or fish. She was constantly sick and having to have the fluid removed. They finally started test. When the test results came back she had lung cancer. Now, she had smoked many years before that. She had also been diagnosed with alcoholic liver in the late 70's, at that time she quit drinking and smoking.
She told me the Dr's never asked her about her smoking history, but did ask if she ever worked around asbestos. She told them she was sure she had as she worked all her life in factories. Her cancer was inoperable. She did take chemo therapy. This was very hard on her. Each treatment caused her sugar to go up. At one point it went up to 600. At that point she had to go on insulin.
She said the worse part was losing her hair. She was 73 years old and still had coal black hair with no grey. I believe she had some black foot indian in her family.
I feel I can give back to the community by providing cancer patients with hats. As a nurse I have cared for may cancer patients. Usually they were in good shape as I never worked for hospice. I am trying to fnd a trach scarf pattern as well. When I find 1 or 2 I will make several and post pictures. If anyone reading this knows of a pattern please pass it along. It will only be used for charity.

Dedication outfit

Well I've been working on the dedication outfit. I got the pants done and don't like them. I have created my own pattern. I will have that done today. I'm also going to try to remake the sweater. I'm not happy with it either. The neck is too small. Not sure what went wrong, I think I crochet tighter than the pattern owner. This outfit is a gift and not for charity. I will post pictures when it's finished.
I'm also working on chemo hats. I'm going to use the yarn in the pants and sweater that didn't turn out right. I try to not make the same hat more than twice, in each shipment. I want to give a variety to choose from. I also try to add a couple for kids. I'm also looking for scarf patterns, particularly what is called neck warmers, or trach scarves. People who have a trach has to be very careful when out in cold weather, and dusty dirty areas. When you have a trach you no longer have the same response to remove such things. You actually have a direct route to the lungs. When you breath normally, the cold air is warmed as it passes through your nose, with a trach the air isn't warmed. You know how things fog up when warm and cold air mixes, it does the same thing in your lungs.
This wasn't to be a lesson on trach care that's another blog. I just hope you get an idea why these things are needed.