oops.....

so i thought i was making good progress and zipping right along...i wasn't paying attention and i dropped a stitch early on...soooooo.....i am going to have to frog back to the first block of chocolate and re-do....what did we learn? probably nothing ;) but this go 'round i will count as i go...instead of looking like a throw...it looks like a skirt...

ending my hiatus

i picked up a crochet hook for the first time since the spring :) it has been a long hot summer and i am back to working full time and managing everything else on top- so, crochet has taken a back seat. but, with the coming of cooler weather, i will not have the yard work to contend with so, i will have time to devote to crochet. plus, i have the maine-endwell craft fair in november- i need to have one more piece for it-- to make me happy that is :)

happy labor day weekend fellow americans- i am so happy that summer is winding down- i am beaming.... :)

doldrums slowly clearing

i have not felt creative of late- but i hope to get my head cleared and get started on several projects i have already lined up... soon....

quick update

i haven't crocheted lately as life has a way of getting in the way of the best laid plans- of mice and men :) i have some ideas in the works though- i have a few amigurami patterns set aside; i have yarn for at least 3 projects waiting, and i intend on making some eco friendly flower vases out of milk cartons, recycled glass jars--- and some eco friendly yarn to be purchased. i would use reclaimed yarn but i don't know how that works selling things. nowadays, you pretty much have to label everything- what it's made of and where it came from. my reclaimed yarn is a mish mash of acrylics from the last 20 years or so- so, i'll keep that for my own use :)

hope the winter hasn't been too difficult for everyone- apparently, we have had some snow or ice in almost all 50 states this winter... hawaii lucked out :) anyhoo, i will update as i start some projects- and van morrison is waiting patiently for me to put him in the cd player.......

winter doldrums

i have not started any projects as of yet- but i am leaning towards amigurumi for craft fairs. perhaps i can get more business cards circulated that way. i have to regroup because winter is kicking my butt. i have no get-up-and-go and my sinuses have been lousy on top of that. i have gotten some garden planning done though- and i need to resume looking for a part time job. sigh. spring where are you? ..........

monday, monday

the official start of my week- i need to regroup and get myself back together. the holidays are around the corner, and although we don't go all out, i have packages to ready and menus to prepare. plus, i want to get working on the hearts throw i am working on- and plan projects for 2010. i hope to have the hearts throw ready for february :) it should be pretty- pinks, purples, burgundies- and a welcome change from blue and white :) will have pics up after i clean up from the craft fair debacle :)

something in the air

the craft show was a bust- but i don't feel badly because i wasn't the only one. lookie lous instead of buyatrons. so, i wasted 6 hours and and an entry fee today. sigh. but, the good news is- i still have stock for the holidays- because although i have 2 projects in the works- i am not that fast :)  namaste.

uh oh

mmmm.... i think i crocheted two extra rows of one color on the retro ripple :) guess my head isn't quite back in the game yet. the craft fair is november 8th- and not this weekend i was pleased to rediscover. i really have to get my act together at some point or it will be the holiday season and i will be screwed :)

october reflections

i have spent the last few days in reflection- attempting to parse and catalog feelings, memories and emotions. yeah, that's all :) i really think that our ability to store lifelong memories is one of the traits that makes us uniquely human. many higher cognitive mammals have memories and they have the ability to communicate with sophistication but humans have taken it that one step further.

so, i have been trying to reconcile past, present and future and it's a daunting task. where i am now is being weighed against where i came from and i have been looking towards the future with a bit of trepidation for some time. reconnecting with friends from the past; researching my ancestry; looking at what i have now, and interacting with my family- has been a bit taxing. probably why i got sick and one reason it is lingering.

as i scrolled through my high school choir site and looked at faces that don't match one hundred percent with my memories, it brought home for me that irritating piece of buddhism that i constantly fight- the world and life is in constant change. sigh. chatting with folks i knew well 15 years ago and seeing where their lives took them drove that point home. and here i am- working on contentment within my own life and trying to make a soothing ebb and flow with past and present.

so, life is good but i am still processing how to articulate the synthesis i am experiencing. i suppose i could go all stream of consciousness but i know i have never been a big fan :) so, enjoy the weekend- i will be working on the retro ripple :)

technobabble

nothing earth shaking this week- i am on the mend from what has been arguably the worst head cold ever. been thinking a bit about technology- as i have had a mixed bag of experiences with it. i have always marveled at the power of the internet to connect people. many of us progressive bloggers used it effectively to agitate for change in the '06 and '08 elections and there are still activists out there fighting for global human rights for all. the blogs opened up a whole new way to communicate with people in your own neck of the woods- and meet folks from around the globe. exciting to say the least. i have met so many cool people from a variety of nations and many fine americans who have worked for change.

there is no doubt that the blogs have morphed into the social site juggernauts- facebook and myspace. i marvel at the fact that i can find folks i haven't spoken to in years and talk to them in real time via chat or simply give them a 'poke' to let them know i am around. i joined facebook to help promote my online etsy site in order to sell my craft items and in the space of a week, i have connected to folks from my high school years; my college years and beyond... as well as many of my blog buddies. i am still wrapping my mind around that. modern technology has plugged us in and connected us in ways that used to be simply local.

on the other hand, modern conveniences aren't always convenient. while i am chatting with my buddies on facebook, there are folks there mining for information- from homeland security to cyberthieves. computerization has also taken the ease of gathering certain kinds of information away- not all of the world is technosavvy and not every demographic can navigate pressing 800 buttons on a phone in order to get basic information about accounts, etc.. i really cannot imagine my mom attempting to contact social security or the bank- you get routed around to a call center where you have to repeat everthing you just pressed buttons for. it also makes life easier for professional hackers....

so, it's with trepidation that i embrace technology. will it make us more or less human? who knows? but it's here to stay and evolve.

sigh

looks like it will be at least next week before i can get back to crocheting. i have arguably the worst head cold ever. i feel like crap. more later....

only the good fridays

it has been awhile since i have been around- i have been busy playing cafe world on facebook :) the good news is- mr. betmo is on the mend and i am getting my car fixed today- fingers crossed. it has been a long week and i am looking forward to the weekend to regroup. i think i will take the weekend and get back into crochet mode as i have a craft fair coming up the first sunday in november. i have to get prepared for it. hope everyone is keeping healthy and gearing up for the holiday season :) and yes, i said it. if you are a crafter, you can't wait until the last minute to think about the yuletide season. ho ho ho.... and all that....

feel free to leave a link to your good friday post in the comments if you want. enjoy the weekend- and as always, stop by shelley's for more info.

van morrison and retro ripple

i have not been crocheting lately. nope. autumn has caught up with us here in the betmo household and my husband has had a horrible cold. so, i have been cooking and vaporizing and medicating mr. betmo while running over to the fam's and helping my mother navigate the ridiculousness that is applying for social security. i did get a new van morrison cd that i have not opened yet- so, it's like a surprise waiting for me. perhaps this weekend...... stay tuned.......

rainy days and mondays

i have been particularly bad about being online these days. we have had damp, chilly weather here in the greater binghamton area and today is no exception. supposed to get showers and hail and whatnot. tends to settle in my chest and make me not feel like doing much at all although i did a couple of half hearted rows on the retro ripple. mainly watched football yesterday with a fire in the fireplace and mr. betmo. he wasn't in the fireplace ;)

hope to get jump started again on some projects. not selling anything at etsy. perhaps i should spend another $8 and highlight and item. i am thinking at this point i will let some of the projects deactivate and see what i sell in real life at the craft fair. i will reactivate then. anyhoo, i have much to do and not much ambition to do it. i have a feeling this week will be a struggle.

good lord! it's friday!

this week went by a bit fast for me. i lost track of what day it was :) but, it's time for only the good friday. mmmm..... i can't complain- my life is good overall. as long as i pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist, i pretty much have the perfect life :) therein lies the rub doesn't it?

anyhoo, i got an updated library card this week and have taken out books on my heritage. my father's mother was a part of the seneca nation and i am hoping to find out about the 5 nations. it saddened me to know that many ancient artifacts were lost during a 1911 fire at the museum in albany but for now, the books survive. much of the work done on the history of the 'iroquois' nations was done in the early twentieth century which is commendable. but, the Haudenosaunee, 'people of the longhouse,' were long gone as a power by then. the european invasion wiped them out through war and greed. it's the same tired story of greed and betrayal- the haudenosaunee assisted the british against the french in the 'french and indian wars' and sided with the americans in the revolution and were repaid by having their land taken from them in various 'treaties.'

the books i took out were written in a time period that was- oh, let's say not politically correct- so, that in and of itself is interesting. these were folks who were sympathetic to the five nations and the way they presented them was, well, ethnocentric to say the least. since they are library books, i can't write in them as i do in my books- i call it active reading ;)- so, i have to do things the old fashioned way and take notes. something i haven't done since college. should be fun.

reading thoreau at bedtime. he is a hoot! i don't know that he and i would have gotten on famously- he was a bit theatrical and melodramatic with a flair for sarcasm ;) but we would have had pleasant conversation about nature and gardening and politics. he didn't care much for the state or for conventional thinkers. so, life is full. haven't really been working on the retro ripple this week although i said i would. haven't been in the mood. it was 80 degrees and muggy one day. no good for crochet.

don't forget to take a peek at shelly's- and if you want, feel free to leave a linky to your post in the comments.

another week rolls 'round

gearing up for a craft fair in november- november 8th- and i am a wee nervous. i have never done a live craft fair before. i have to go and lay in some supplies- boxes, tissue paper, etc. i hope i can sell a few things- i need the room to add more :) the retro ripple is coming along. i am about halfway through and i have the next several projects sketched out in my mind. i have enough to do through the holidays that's for sure :)

of autumn days and old friends

ooh- there is a chill in the air and the leaves are starting to change here in upstate new york. the farmer's almanac says first frost will be on or around october 13th- we'll see. hubby and i have lived in our home almost a year and a half- and for two summers- i have been visited by a friend on our back deck- mr. six legged spider. spiders don't have long life spans so i thought i'd better grab a picture as this will probably be our last summer together. he hangs out on the screen and on the table on the deck.

i am currently working on a project i affectionately call the 'retro ripple.' i had never tried a ripple pattern but i can see why they are popular- they work up fast and look nice- and are warm... it is big enough to cover my lap at this point. it was the increasing and decreasing that initially threw me off- in this case- 3 extra stitches at the top of the wave and taking away 3 at the bottom. but, after ripping out 5 rows and having a pile of what mr. betmo calls 'spaghetti yarn,' i got the hang of it :) will keep you posted....

sorted out new projects

i have a craft fair coming up in november- and i decided to do a couple of 'quick' projects. i started what i am affectionately calling a 'retro ripple' and a sampler throw. i am taking the time to learn some new stitches- i had never done a ripple. i never have been great at increasing and decreasing :) it's actually kind of fun. i can see the draw to crocheting the ripples. the sampler is just that- different squares of different stitches put together- i'll do pictures as i get something to show.

otherwise, quiet rainy day here in upstate new york. us open is in rain delay so we are watching a replay of a jimmy connors in the 1991 semifinals of the us open. mmmm... i think he wins :) hubby and i will celebrate our 12th anniversary tommorrow- my how time flies... :)

only the good friday

today is one of those perfect late summer days- not too hot but plenty of sunshine. i am still not operating at 100% and my husband is telling me to take tomorrow off- which i just might do. my sister is on a more regular schedule at work- so it's a wee less stressful for her in that regard- so that's good. i am working to finish another project and have started another- which is actually quite fun for me- as i am learning another stitch.

overall life is good. have not been paying much mind to the world these days- the die has been cast and i am living each day as if it was mine alone. i regret i haven't been making the rounds as much as i would like- i do miss my blog buddies :) perhaps when summer is over and folks move it back inside- we can all get together and catch up.

don't forget to drop by shelly's for 'only the good' friday info- and post. thornie and spadoman may or may not have a post up- but check them out for good posts anyway. as always, if you want to leave a link to your post in the comments- feel free.