Quilt Medallion Scarf

I am crocheting again.  It really does seem to go faster and it really does seem to eat more yarn.  I am taking a class at Saratoga Needle Arts 

It is an Interweave Crochet pattern called Quilt Medallion Scarf.  I have 11 of the motifs done so far.  The pattern calls for 69, but with a much finer yarn and gauge.  The teacher's sample used 36 so that's what I am aiming for.

Here is the 11 I have done.

And the 9 in progress.

The one on the left shows one round done, the middle is two rounds done, and the one on the right is three rounds done.
Then, on Saturday I will be taking the second class and learning how to connect them all together.  I am using Mission Falls 1824 cotton.  My wrists are killing me.  I don't know if it is because I am using different movements with crochet or if it is the cotton.  I am trying to take a break and rest my wrists, but I soooo want to be crocheting!  It is addicting!!!!

FO: Sweetheart Washcloth

I made a Sweetheart Washcloth by Susan B Anderson for my son for Valentine's Day.  I am a HUGE fan of Susan and her Itty Bitty Hats.

I used Cotton Chenille yarn on size 5 needles.  I tried the picot crochet edging but I was struggling so I gave up and made up my own edging.  I am currently making another one in Sugar n Cream and I may give the picot edging another shot.

Photo shoots with a toddler are always an adventure!

FO: Lunasea Leticia Hat

I swear my nose isn't really that crooked.  :)  This hat is a Valentine's Day present for my husband and I was afraid he would find the pic if I used the digital camera, so I used the handy little camera on the computer.

I used less than a skein of Leticia from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in Lunasea.  I LOVE these colors.  The yarn is a slight thick and thin--but mostly thin.  I knit it on 10.5 dpns and it is my own design.  Quick, quick knit.  

I was thinking of making a cowl with the other skein of Lunasea in my stash.  Do men where cowls?  Nothing fancy-just a scarf substitute in stockinette.  Maybe I should ask him before taking a chance and making it.

FO: Crocheted Sampler Wave Scarf

This pattern was a great way to learn and practice various crochet stitches.  I used 4 colors of Cascade 220 Super Wash that I had in my stash.  It turned out a little shorter than I would like.  I used half the number of stitches called for in the adult-sized pattern.  Oh well, I'll chalk it up to learning.  London doesn't know the difference. :)

So, my model was not at all into modeling.

Can we say tempermental?
Does every model storm out of their photo shoots?  Or just my model?

Thank You!

I have finished a project!!  YEA!!  I will attempt a photo shoot tomorrow.  Hopefully my model cooperates! :)

On the money front . . . my husband still hasn't produced the receipt for the groceries yesterday so I'm not sure of the exact total.  He also bout $20 in gas today.  After he told me, he quickly said "but the light was on!"  Yea, I guess that would be a good reason to get gas. :)

Thank you for my congratulations on losing weight! :)  I am currently 9 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight.  That is very exciting!  I am starting to think about rewards for myself.  I want something to celebrate 50 pounds.  I have created my own system of what works for me.  I was thinking that I could share some things that are working for me in some blog posts.  

So, the first one is being really conscious about what I am eating and I what I am feeling.  This is sometimes easier said then done.  I have a toddler and anyone who has spent any time with toddlers knows that meal times can be interesting.  I also have two dogs and I can not tell you how much energy they consume while we are in the kitchen.  Whether it is needing to go out, needing to come in, begging London for food, eating the other dogs food, you get the idea.  Then of course, I'm trying to make food, clean up afterwards, do dishes, etc.  So, being really conscious of what I am eating and whether or not I should be eating isn't always easy.  It is easy to consume without even fully realizing what I am doing.  Also, I need to consciously think about if I am hungry.  Again, it is easier to pop a leftover graham cracker in my mouth then to put it away when my son has decided he doesn't want it.  I believe the first step is to be truly conscious and think about what I am doing.  Awareness.  It starts with awareness.

It's A Party!

There is a party going on!  There is the cool thing called Mr. Linky that lets us link to our posts.  The party topic is taming kid clutter.  Go check it out and borrow some great ideas from lots of creative, organized bloggers.

So, on the money front--my husband bought some groceries during his lunch break today.  He thinks it was under $30, but he isn't home yet so I don't know exactly how much.

And . . . I lost 32 pounds!  YEA!! :)

Free Photo Book

Inkubook is offering a free photo book for filling out a survey about their product and site.  You will need to pay shipping and tax, but the book is free.  Cool, huh?  I've been wanting to make a photo book of London's first year.  My coupon code expires the last day of this month.  So, despite my intention of spending as little money as possible this month I think it is worth paying for the shipping and tax to get the book for free.

By the way, we didn't spend anything today! :)

Ground Hog's Day

Is it Groundhog or Ground Hog?  Either way, six more weeks of winter!  I'm very ready for SPRING!

So, neither of us spent any money today.  Yea!!!

Feel free to share your financial triumphs in the comments! :)

Money Challenge

My husband and I are challenging ourselves to see how little we can spend during the month of February on our non-fixed expenses.  I aim for $125 a week on groceries (although I usually spend more) and we spend about $200 a month in gas.  Then of course there is a little bit here and a little bit there.  We do have Valentine's Day this month and a couple of all ready scheduled social engagements that we will be spending money on.  Also, I have been making an effort to buy more organic and hormone-free food.  So we will continue with these commitments.  I would like us to be more conscious of our spending and think about how to save ourselves money, but we won't be sacrificing other things that we value (eating healthy and spending time with family and friends).  I think blogging about it will help with accountability.  And who knows, maybe someone will join us in our challenge!

Today I spent $5.71 on lunch and $1.25 for tip for a total of $6.96 for the day.  My husband didn't spend anything today.