babypoohsmom

So a lovely Ville member noticed that I like having at least one strand of the three I use held together to make a cat mat to be Homespun yarn because it makes the mat that much softer to start. She contacted me to say she had some spare skeins from a project she doesn't participate in anymore, so she sent them to me. I need to check with her to see if the donation was meant to by anonymous, but the yarn she gifted me was amazing. I picked through and found some partial skeins to get this mat done. But most of the skeins are beautiful full skeins that I just can't stop thinking are " too good" for simple scrap mats for the cats. Meanwhile, I tried a few shawls. I apparently just stink at shawls, mine curled up. I was able to start a simple granny's square afghan with one skein and I started a C2C with another skein. But I'd like to get back to the cats...I guess they deserve cute matched mats, so I will try to match two skeins of Homespun with just one worsted (so I can see the stitches) to see if I can make a pretty match. For now, here is my most recent FO.

Aw that's too bad Darski, it looked like a nice store from the pictures. I hope you find a new place for your projects! I like the idea of the upscale thrift shop. There are a few here in the metro Phoenix area. There is one not too far from my house, but I don't get there too often. It supports a hospice I think. I just saw over the weekend the call for various projects to help out the wildlife rescue in Australia. I printed out two sewing patterns I thought I could manage, but by last night I saw a post that said to hold back while they figure out what they still need. I saw that a few US based places sent their stock of crochet birds nests like Lyn makes, so maybe they will need backfill soon.

Holly, I was asking for the same reason. I thought I could send over the 3 tan hats I just posted. And Darski, I googled "Redeemed Goods" in Canada and all I found was a store that was closed in Welland. I'm not sure where you live, but I hope that isn't your store!

That's great Holly. When does she hope to get 50 done? Is there a deadline? My mom liked the loom knitting. She was good at it and had that little purple hook action down to a flick! Hope your daughter enjoys it.

Hey Lyn, I have used a few skeins of the Walmart Mainstays yarn and thought it was very soft, you know, given its price. I actually thought it was a bit softer than RHSS. The color selection at my store has been limited though. You have a good eye for those wreaths Darski. What are the tiny red strands made of? Are those just bits of the red burlap?

Brenda, I am glad to hear that you got moved and already found friends to meet with. Sometimes I'm happy to be in my chair watching tv and crocheting, but other times, I crave the company of other like minded people. I think we all know what it's like to have projects beckoning us! I hope you find some time soon to relax a bit.

Hi...well I have to be honest here and admit that I made these hats a few weeks ago, but just got the ends tucked in tonight while watching Monday Night Football. They are made from a skein of Bernat Blanket and I have ball left a little smaller than a tennis ball. I used to send my charity hats to folks out of state because I didn't think that homeless people in Phoenix really needed hats and scarves. Then one January night, I locked myself out of my car and was SO cold while waiting for AAA. That's when I realized that yes, the homeless in Phoenix do need warm items.

Hi Darski, we are so glad you are here. That wreath is very cute. Lol, I can think of at least a dozen people in my rescue that would have loved to have that hanging in their home for Christmas. I am glad that you can still do creative things, if not crochet. Glad to have you here Bailey and Lyn.

Bailey, that is a nice article...did it just end with the mention of your mom or did I miss a second part? The article just seemed to end kind of abruptly. I kept looking for an arrow or something to take me to another page. You are a celebrity now, I'll need your autograph please!! And Lyn, I have to give you props for those birds nests. I tried a few times this past summer and just could not get them right. I like that blue scrappy scarf. I don't know why I like matching up bits and pieces, but I just do. And those colors are great together. Well, I opened the 2020 CAL. I had such a disappointing 2019 in just about all aspects of my life. Work, rescue, donations, fun...I always seemed to be a day late and a dollar short to everything. A new year seems like a natural time to reflect and prioritize. I think I actually need some "directions" to myself in writing this year. I won't call them goals, but maybe reminders of what is important. I avoided life too much this year because everything seemed a struggle and it was easier to just hide instead of confronting. I guess they are right when they say the first step to solving a problem is to admit you have one! Has anyone been in a "life rut"? Lol, I think I need a head-clearing vacation or something. If anyone has advice for getting out of a funk...please let me know. I need a shake up! Thank you all for sticking with the slowest moderator in the Ville this year. That being said. I *LOVE* looking back through the pages to see all of the amazing projects "we" have accomplished this year. It's great to look back at all of the posts and pictures. We really did manage a lot this year for being a small group! It's inspiring and I can't wait to see what we get done in 2020. Merry Christmas my friends and I wish you all a great new year.

Hello all, Here we are, 2020! A lovely member of the ville started a Boxing Day CAL many years ago and it has been passed along to a few moderators, but I will do my best to explain Boxing Day. Boxing Day is a holiday that is celebrated on Dec 26th in the British Empire. The origins have been debated but the celebration of the day may have started with church tithings to the poor or the day off that was given to servents who had to work on Christmas. (Think Scrooge's nephew's house maid). The "box" part my be because the tithings to the poor were collected in a separate box from the regular church collections...or it may be because the affluent would give their servents gifts and food in a box to carry home on Christmas night to enjoy the next day. Either way, we celebrate any kind of charity crocheting, knitting, sewing, volunteering...! We have such a diverse group of charitable giving. Our group was a bit small last year, and I was the world's slowest moderator, but we are all going to have fun supporting each other this year. Please join us any time!! Tell us what charity you support. ~Denise

I don't know why I enjoy the hunt of thrift yarn. For some reason, people pass on black and red yarn a lot. I mostly find the cheaper acrylics, which work fine for my projects. I did get 6 bags of some knit picks yarn about two years ago for a friend whe was wanting to start a summer top project. I reduce the cost of that project from $200, to about $30 for her. It's odd what you find and when. I do notice that if they have 4 full skeins of some kind of beautiful yarn, they will bag them separately and throw some partial skeins and random balls in with them. Instead of being able to just buy the lovely stuff, you get stuck with the ugly stepsister yarn! But like I said, those bits end up in cat mats. I collected all summer apparently and recently had to clean out my car, I had 54, yes FIFTY FOUR skeins of yarn in my car. I'm pretty close to needing a 12 step program!! I'd love to be brave and bring them all in the house for a class photo, but I am sure that would be admissable in court while my husband petitions the judge!!!

Bailey, I will keep my eyes open again. I never did see a reply from you on the ones I saw on clearance at Target. Can you use ethnic dolls? Or do you like the Walmart dolls better? Dont you deliver to the school soon?

Deb, I hold three strands and am by nature a tight crocheter, so my mats turn out very dense. i use them for fosters all of the time. I'm a little fanatic about making sure the fosters have nicely trimmed nails (because they are tiny talons if you don't) and have had no problem at all. If a cat starts to chew the strands apart, they are pulled and sent back to me for re-use, but it doesn't happen all that often. i make round beds and cat toys from yarn as well. Just have to keep an eye on how they use them.

That looks like a great travel project. Love the finished blanket.

Here is another hat and mat. I found the Bernat yarn at Goodwill. I thought it would be softer (and thicker). It was not suitable for a hat by itself so I bought some RH w/Love and held them together. (I had no plain, brown worsted - well, I couldn't find any). It was not very easy to see my stitches with this yarn even with the second strand as a guide. Not sure I could use it alone. Maybe it's easier for knitting. Anyway, it looks a bit like a bathing cap in the picture, but in person, it looks pretty normal.