U Dub Crochet Hat!

My Friend Jarla asked me to make her brother a University of Washington hat. Her mom tried but couldn't seem to get it "right" so she asked me to take a stab at it, and this is what I came up with. She loved it!

U-dub beanie!

My Model... Tanner

Lettuce Vine Cowl

I was finishing the baby blanket as quickly as possible because I wanted to get started on my cowl. I love scarves and am loving the idea of cowls this season.  It took me about a day to get it done!!! I was so psyched it was so short and a fast knit!!!

I did it! My Cowl!

It was made with Malabrigo Chunky in Rhodesian

Nala in the Cowl... not impressed!

Tanner isn't too Impressed either!

Loved doing this pattern!

~Christina

Baby Blanket for Heidi!

I have ADD when it comes to crafting! But some how a few minutes before Baby Felicity came, I finished this darling Blanket.

Baby Blanket Completed 10/16 at 10pm!

I quickly made a matching hat (which took me no time at all) and washed both for the new parents. I hope they like it!

~Christina

Stitch N' Pitch Project 1

This year I went the Seattle Mariner's Stitch n' Pitch. I picked up a few projects for myself and friends which I'm excited about.  I finished the Rozetti Marina scarf which is pictured here. It is a quick easy knit but I would review the video below to learn how to cast-on and bind-off!

This is the completed scarf

Completed on me!

Getting Planty

We have this older-ish Lilac shrub (though it looks like a tree) in our backyard so I thought I'd try to root it with some root hormone and maybe we'll get one in the front yard as well! In my adventures at the "Do It" Center (that's like an Ace Hardware for east coasters) I found out that Lilac usually grows its own shoots. That is actually what I cut. It turns out, we've been mowing them, but we actually have several shoots to try to root if this doesn't go well! (Though online research suggests they are easy to root)



I also figured I'd show you the progress of Bruce my Blue Colorado Spruce which I've grown from seed. Yes there are 6 and I don't have clever names for all... maybe that'll be contest someday!?!



As well as Larry the European Larch I got as a sapling on Earth Day from Lowe's! On Earth Day next year, he'll go in the ground somewhere. I haven't decided where yet!?!

A woman with a plan!

So I revamped my blog and then I didn't blog. That's me! I raised $150 for the Race for the Cure! I was impressed with myself considering I have such great friends who supported me! Seeing how easy it was for me to raise money, next year I will be walking the 3-day! I'll start early (as in later this year) making crafts i.e. gloves, hats, scarves, etc. to boost my fund raising! My sister got a double mastectomy which is awesome because they found Cancer in BOTH breasts. (The MRI only showed it in one!) And even better... because the cancer was so early (stage 0-1) she doesn't need chemo and is going straight to tamoxifen. A big relief for the family!

What's Next?

Getting myself healthy! I've only been giving half my heart to my weight loss journey and that needs to change. Though my sister was thin and my mom was heavy, both got breast cancer. Being healthy might reduce my chances or at least make it easier for me to recover if/when it happens. My sister is practically done with her reconstruction. She's back at work already and feeling good! If I can prevent it by being healthy, I will! If I can speed up my recovery because I'm healthy, I will! Waiting to find out I have it isn't the best course of action to prevent or survive it!

I'm also setting new goals. My friends have convinced me to take the zumba instruction basic class to be certified. Now, I'm picky about my class instructors... I want them to be tight and fit. They are people I look to for inspiration, guidance and support. If they look like they are struggling... I'm less likely to go to them with questions. I know not all people look at instructors for that, and that's awesome but for me the combination of training, and getting healthy would probably end up looking how I want to look.

But I have goals outside of looks! I want to be a certified zumba instructor but I really want to be an aqua zumba instructor. It's a lot of work! I have to get certified in zumba, then get my aquatic certs to teach aqua classes (as well as lifeguard, CPR and AED training to save lives in case of an emergency) and then the certification to teach aqua aerobics. It'll be a bit of money (I'm guessing $1,500 when all is said and done) That's a lot of pressure! That's not only being thin in front of a class, its being NAKED in front of a class. A bathing suit is practically naked! If that's not motivation, I don't know what is! My hope is to have my own pool (OK a pool where people just love my class), my own zumba following by this time in 2012. Maybe even going to Convention in 2013!!! And who knows, maybe even teaching at convention or teaching others how to be an aqua zumba instructor!!!

A New Direction

So I'm changing the direction of this blog. Yes it will have my crafts on here, because that's part of my life. But it'll be going into other deeper things too! I'm a Christian, a merchant marine engineer and have a new purpose to prevent Breast cancer not just in myself but all women!

Last week, my sister was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She's 36! My mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at 48 and here I am 29! I am scared, I cried, I slept a lot, and ate... A LOT! I went to my OB/GYN yesterday and I have a mammogram planned for next week. The day I found out about my sister's cancer, my daily Bible reading had Moses telling Joshua that he'll be leading the Israelites into the promised land. He said to him;

Deut. 31:6
⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

It helped. What helped the most was today! At Women's Bible Study (WBS), we were going over God's plan. We're doing Priscilla Shirer's Discerning the Voice of God. She said, "Bushes don't burn in a palace, they burn in the desert." God uses these hard times to equip us. He used Moses' time in the desert shepherding sheep to prepare him for the exodus of the Israelites. So I'm going to try to be positive. God is using this time to equip me for something. Maybe to get my body in shape and my health on track? (Which I will be doing) Maybe to help raise money for breast cancer awareness? Maybe to support someone in the future who will need my "expertise" in this subject? I don't know... but I know that God will reveal it in His time and until then, I will try to put my fears and concerns on Him instead of feeling like I'm carrying this alone!

1st Sweater EVER!

So for Whitney's Baby shower present, I decided I would crochet a sweater because I thought that would be something fun to try. Because I'm procrastinator, I stayed up half the night completing this project. My only hope is that she will seriously like it! Or I went without sleep or getting stuff off her registry for nothing!!!

Baby Shower Favors

So I'm in charge of Baby Shower favors for a party this Saturday! I was quite nervous not really knowing what the Soon-to-be Mom would think was creative vs. crappy!?! Here's what I did, what do you think?

The blue bag is the favors for winning the Baby shower games. They are filled with a set of heart shaped measuring spoons, a honey holder with honey comb and a tea pot timer.




The Brown bag is what everyone is getting for coming. It has a baby powder scent candle (some white as shown, some blue) and some candy with 2 kisses saying "It's a Boy!"

I embossed the Baby sign as well as the Thank-You. I used self adhesive ribbon that says "baby," to tie the blue mesh baggies. I cheated on the sail boat and bought those already made.

Salty Sweet Pea