Easter Basket Baby Throw WIP

Another ripple!

Easter Basket

... my second ripple will be a small baby throw.   

I'm using Lucy Attic24's fantastic Neat Ripple Pattern (here) again.

 I love this variegated 90% acrylic/10% nylon yarn, Bernat Baby Jacquards, plus it sure saves time and effort of changing colors and weaving in ends.   Actually the name of the yarn color is "Easter Basket" which I thought makes a cute name for the throw too.  The yarn was excellent to work with and is very soft and lightweight.  It will be a perfect summer throw for my niece's baby due in May.     

Starting "Easter Basket" my second ripple throw.

Since taking these photos I have finished the ripple body - it took two skeins to complete.    

I used a G hook for this project. 

Now I will have to (yippee!) make a trip to Michaels to get some light weight baby yarn for the border and edging.   I was going to use the pretty green cotton yarn, Bernat Baby Cakes, shown above but it is too thick of a yarn for this delicate throw. 

Remember when I mentioned I was using a wooden dowel to unwind my yarn as I crocheted (blogged about here).  Well, my rough version of a yarn holder worked sort of but needed some improvements like a good base foundation and a way to make the yarn spin better.  I didn't want to put Hubby to work making something for me. 

So I did an Internet search and found containers shaped like bottles to put your yarn in and then the yarn fed out of the top of the bottle.  But I thought this type of bottle container ~ while good at keeping one's yarn clean ~ could still fall on the ground and roll away (shown here).  

Then one day I was in Ravelry (here) and saw an advertisement for a "yarn tamer".  There was a website (here) to view a demo (here) and it looked just like what I was envisioning.  I decided to try the taller version.  It was easy to order it online and it arrived quickly.  I used it the same night and it works great holding my yarn in place and spinning it out as I crochet. 

My "Yarn Tamer"

And the "Yarn Tamer" is lightweight and compact so it should travel nicely too.   This neat little tool should make my crocheting more pleasant!

Well, thanks for joining me as I ramble on about my crocheting.    

Please join:

Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Cielo at The House in the Roses for Show of Your Cottage Monday

REDnesday - Red & White Potholders

Images courtesy of Flickr

1. 1, 2. 1a, 3. 1b

Wouldn't these beautiful RED and White potholders be fun to crochet?  

And display at Christmas?

Or anytime?

(Click on each legend to see the full photo and learn all about this talented crocheter)

Image courtesy of Flickr

Visit Sandra's blog to learn more about this very talented crocheter (here).

Hurray - Sandra's blog has her crochet pattern diagram for these potholders (here)!

And there are more REDs to enjoy with our host, Sue, at 

It's A Very Cherry World

(here) 

for REDnesday!

Mosaic Monday - Ripples

Images Courtesy of Flickr

1. ripples, the blanket, 2. I. Can. Crochet., 3. Mike's Afghan (4), 4. Spring Bouquet Ripple Blanket - WIP, 5. baby ripple, 6. My first ripple, 7. scrappy chevron pillow, 8. Ripple blanket, 9. Ziggy zaggy

These are addictive!

While I'm working on my second crocheted ripple throw I thought I would share some beautiful 

 r  i  p  p  l  e  s  

I found on Flickr with you for Mosaic Monday.

Click on each legend to see the full photo. 

Have you tried a ripple yet?   

Please join Mary at The Little Red House (here) for more Mosaic Monday!

Yummy Cotton Candy!

Pastel Colors...

More pastel colors...

Paths of color...

Glorious shades of color...

Yellow brick road...

Endless colors...

Ribbons of color...

My pretty border using double crochet and Edie Eckman's "Around The Corner Crochet Borders" patterns #109 and for the last round using #120's round 3 with a front post double crochet.  

The border corner.

Gentle folds of color...

Cotton Candy All Laid Out

I love the feel and look of my ripple throw.   

I blogged about Cotton Candy here and here previously.  

It took a little practice to get Lucy's neat ripple pattern down so the "hills" and "valleys" lined up correctly.  But once you master the stitch it is so easy.  And you know when you miss a stitch and it happens but all you have to do is frog back to the error and fix it.   

Cotton Candy Throw

I may just leave it hanging here it looks so pretty!

Perhaps I may give this one away as a gift or maybe not.  

My Crocheted Throws

And here is Cotton Candy added to my pile of crocheted throws.  

I keep thinking about red and white ripple stripes and how Christmasy that would be....

Please join me for:

Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Cielo at The House in the Roses for Show of Your Cottage Monday


Welcome to Beverly's Pink Saturday .  Click on her link to see more PINK!

Mosaic Monday - Minnie Madness

Images courtesy of Flickr

1. hug, 2. Mini Minnie!, 3. Minnie, 4. yeah, sir, it's me, 5. Minnie apples, 6. Minnie ♥ nerds, 7. Minnie Mouse Mailbox, 8. CUTEST!!!, 9. Meeting Western Minnie at Disney's Kickin' Country Weekend

I'm still dreaming about visiting Walt Disney World this fall.  

I don't know what it is about WDW but I love to go there.  I feel like a kid again when I stepped into the Magic Kingdom.

So, here is a little Minnie Mouse Madness for you for Mosaic Monday.

Please join Mary at The Little Red House (here) for more Mosaic Monday!

I Made Explore!

I made Explore!

I'm speechless...I can't believe it!

My Flickr sidebar shows one photo of mine in Explore this morning!  

For those of you who don't use Flickr...Explore is an special category in Flickr where certain photos are selected daily based upon criteria that make the photo extra interesting and unique.  I guess it's like getting a "gold star" from your teacher for your artwork or homework.  

To find out what photos of yours make Explore you have to go to HugeBigLabs.com and click on "Scout".  

This is my photo that made it...

1. Sunshine & Shadow Throw Overview

My First Explore Photo

March 9, 2011

#397

WOW!

What a day!  

A Day of Elegance at Rehoboth Beach

Boardwalk Plaza Hotel

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Yesterday was forecasted to be in the low 70s!  So we decided Thursday to drive down to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and stay at one of the hotels on the boardwalk Friday night.   This is very unusual for us...we usually go RVing and stay at a campground. 

Rehoboth Beach is about a two hours drive south of our home.  We have eaten at the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel  on visits through the area previously and we hoped to get a nice room there and stay the night.

  Upon arriving we discovered that all the ocean front rooms were taken but we got an ocean view room on the side of the hotel.  

The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel

Our room was on this side of the hotel.  

We were very pleased with the room and the view.  

The hotel's philosophy is to take one back to the Victorian times when people were treated to elegance and superior service.  Their advertisement states "Where PAMPERING is everything"!    

The lobby sitting area.

We had to use the flash to take this photo because there is not much natural light in this area of the hotel.  This is part of the lobby and through the windows is a very large hot tub that is both indoors and out.  

These were the most comfortable beds we have had at an hotel and I loved the Victorian decor of our suite!

The bathroom is between the bedroom and sitting room which overlooks the ocean.  

Look at this lovely piece of furniture for the vanity cabinet in the bathroom.  

One view of our sitting room.

Another view of our sitting room.

The view of the Atlantic Ocean from our suite.

And here's another view from our suite of the boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean!

The teapots in the dining room.  

Lemon Blueberry French Toast!  

Yummy!

 Rehoboth Beach City Sign.

Rehoboth is a very popular resort town on the East Coast!

Looking down Rehoboth Ave. the main street of Rehoboth Beach.

Stores with just about anything one could want lined Rehoboth Avenue.  

Our hotel is this way down the boardwalk.

This is early Saturday morning before the crowds have gathered.

Sweetie and I having breakfast before walking the boardwalk and heading home.

If you go to a resort town in the state of New Jersey "one is going to the shore" but if you go to a resort town in the states of Delaware or Maryland "one is going to the beach"!

As former Mid-Westerners whenever we have gone on vacation to the East Coast we have always "gone to the beach". 

Back home today and after one day of 70 degree F. weather our trees are starting to bud out!  It's not as warm today just 58 degrees F. but it is still sunny and pretty out.

Have a lovely weekend and thanks for coming on a visual tour of Rehoboth Beach with us.  

St. Patrick's Day Memorial

In Memory of my beloved parents....

Mother

(Oct. 5, 1924 - March 17, 1991)

and

 Father

(July 25, 1921 - March 3, 1994)

Cotton Candy

Cotton Candy Throw

I named my newest crochet project...

 {{ COTTON CANDY }}

Oh, remember when I said my first pink rows weren't lining up correctly for the "hills" and "valleys" (first blogged about here)?  

I decided to do another practice piece to see how they should line up.  After studying the 2nd practice piece I knew I wouldn't be happy continuing as it was...why do all that work when the stitches were wrong.  So, I frogged back to the foundation chain and started over.  I'm so glad I did because now the "hills" and "valleys" are align perfectly. 

One thing I like about the wavy chevron is that it looks good on both sides of the throw.  Lucy's pattern is so neat looking and I like that there isn't the spaces that a more steep zig zag would produce.

A Work In Progress

  

It's dark and dreary here today...a perfect day to spend crocheting!

Have a lovely day and thanks for visiting me.

REDnesday - RED at Dear Daisy Cottage

Red Daisy Pen

I love Kim at Dear Daisy Cottage!

(All images from Flickr courtesy of Dear Daisy Cottage) 

I could look at Kim's beautiful cottage all day...and I wish I could steal Ms. Maggie and Mr. Marley away.

Ms. Maggie!

What a cutie!

Mr. Marley

Another sweetie pie!

Let's look at more of Kim's lovely photos showcasing her love of all things RED.

Train Case Vignette

Vintage Dress

Look at that beautiful RED wall!

Red Tole Tray

Thrifted Throws

Thrifted Afhgans

Yard Sale Bench

Red Cake Carrier

Hop over to Kim's blog (Dear Daisy Cottage) for more delicious REDs.

And there are more REDs to enjoy with our host, Sue, at 

It's A Very Cherry World

(here) 

for REDnesday!