Crocheted blanket for Mom

I finally got it done! The weather is really warming up, so I'm glad to report that I have now finished my Mom's summer blanket. I think she'll like it. It's made of baby yarn and is very, very soft.

Mom sleeps in her chair instead of a bed (bad back), and she likes to pull a blanket over her at night. I happen to know she sleeps during the day, too, while she says she's "reading". But she does get a lot of reading done, so I just mailed her off 22 pounds of books to keep her busy.

Here's the blanket, just a simple ripple pattern with a three double shell stitch around the outside. Should keep her nice and warm...

Listing books that were living on the floor in the shop...

When I sorted my personal library out and came up with books I decided I could part with, I had no place to put them! So I brought them out and put them in the shop area - on the floor between bookcases. That means if I sell a book out of a category in that area, I had to be real creative to get to the shelf to retrieve them. You ever play that game "Twister" where you had to put your hand or foot on whatever color came up when the arrow was spun? That's what this reminded me of!

I have listed cookbooks, Japanese Magna graphic novels, history books of Washington, reference books for plants and animals, children's books, and I have many more to list. Threw some crochet booklets in there somewhere, too. I'm just going through the piles, listing whatever I find!

I need to do my taxes, but listing is more fun. I'll need a day when I'm feeling real anal retentive to do taxes. I can practically list in my sleep...

Almost through with the Juvenile fiction review for Foreword Magazine. They have one more book they're sending me to read before I make my final choices.

George is getting better every day. He's taking this week off work to heal.

I've found something new to use for my eczema. It's an essential oil treatment a lady created for her business and I think I'll have to order some. When I do, I'll let you know what it is - right now I just have a sample bottle. I have tried various kinds of treatment (all over the counter) and nothing has worked on it. This stuff works!

The next door neighbors got an old car that's been sitting for some time running again. I heard him yahooing in excitement - must be a man thing.

Hope life is going well for you. I'll be listing again tomorrow, too.

If you have an interest in any particular category, let me know. I'll showcase you some books from my stock to see if I can tempt you to buy!

More crocheted scarves I've made...

One is for a friend in Virginia who had a small cerebral stroke last year, and the other is for a friend in New York who wanted one for her sister-in-law who is widowed.

I have such fun working with the different types of yarn and a variety of stitches to make different looks.

I listed children's books today. Did cookbooks previously. You ever cooked a Kangaroo tail? I have a recipe for it.

Sent Mom a box of books last week. Have more to review.

I've twittered a bit, talked with a publisher about my ARC giveaway - he's going to send me a published book to give away instead, and I think I'll read a book from my pile to read and put it on paperback swap next.

Always seem to be busy here.

Got Mom's blanket done...

It's not quite the double size she wanted, but it will work quite well for keeping her warm in her rocker.

I started with the yellow and did a tipsy shell - that's the last picture to show you the stitch.

Then I added some tweed as a border to make it a bit longer.

It's in a priority mail box and going out to her tomorrow.

My dear husband told me to tell her if it's too short, to pull on it and it will get longer! Isn't he sweet?

It reminds me of a sunflower. What do you think?

Crocheted a scarf for my Mom...

She's in assisted living now, and my sister-in-law got her a new coat. I decided to whip up a scarf for her.

After all, when she was going to the assisted living unit, she refused to leave until she got her laprobe I made her to take with her. Almost like Linus and his blanket...

This is washable and has some mohair in it:

I think she'll like it.

Another lap robe done...

This one is going to an 80 year old friend of mine.

That lump you see to the right of project is my cat, Tiger Lily, sleeping under the covers...

Happy Thanksgiving - and More Crocheting!

Hope of all you are having a very good Thanksgiving and remembering all we have to be thankful for. We're having beef stew and brown bread for our dinner. Don't you think the pilgrim's might have served that, too?

I've been busy crocheting and have finished two more lap robes.

You'll note that Lily had to test the red one - she says it has passed the "kneadability" test.

They're both already packed up and will go out tomorrow. Now I've started another.

What are you working on or reading?

Finished my bedspread!

This was originally going to be a shawl, but it was too long. So I decided to make it a bedspread. I had enough yarn...

Then it was just a bit short on a queen sized bed, so I added an edging. I think it looks nice and it will be a good summer spread for us. We always have the air going, so you need something, but nothing too heavy. Now I'll have to buy some lavender sheets...

What do you think of it?

Crocheting and listening to audio books...

I'm about 1/2 through my bedspread. I'm making it from variegated baby yarn (lavender, pink, and yellow) and using a very lacy pattern. It should be very pretty on my bed.

And, as I crochet, I'm listening to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries. I have several read by the BBC radio staff, and I love those British accents! Such fun.

So I put on my headphones, get my hook flying and see where Hercule is off to this time.

This is my "winter retreat" time. I quit working (at listing books) and concentrate on customer service and some "me" time. The only good time to crochet in the desert is the winter - at least if you're doing blanket sized projects.

Normally, this would be a very busy time for orders for me. I typically have a pretty good run in sales for Christmas. Not this year. I am getting orders, but not in any special volume. When the economy sucks, people buy less. I imagine there are going to be some pretty bare trees this year. Which might not be all bad. I think people get too excessive in buying presents nowadays.

We don't "do" Christmas anymore. I have no room for a tree (and you can't afford to buy them down here anyway) and we buy what we need as we need it. No family here. I do have Christmas lights on the house and I send Christmas cards to those who are alone in life and need some cheer. So I share the spirit of Christmas and we have a good Christmas dinner, but we don't do gifts anymore.

So, the end result is that I get more time to crochet. That's not all bad. It's a hobby I love, and I enjoy giving my work as gifts.

Even hardworking booksellers deserve some time off...