Prey (Short Story)

". . .A short story is like a kiss in the dark. . .and if I should kiss you in the dark, do not be afraid; it is only because you are my love." -- Stephen King

I was going to just delete this post, but I couldn't do it. I figured if I pulled it the least I could do is offer an explanation to those of you who might actually come back to reread it. I've changed the title and am currently in the process of revising this story for publication. That's all I can say right now, but please keep an eye on the blog for further updates. Believe me, when it happens, I'll be screaming from the rooftops.

No, I Haven't Fallen off the Face of the Earth

Nor have I forgotten about my dear followers... Truth be told, my plate's been a bit full, as usual, and I've let the blog slip a bit since Christmas. The good news is that I've spent the past week not just catching up but getting a bit ahead. (Yay ME!) I've actually been keeping up with at least one of my New Year's resolutions as well as pushing forward with new designs. So here you go, the big rundown (and a shameless plug):

Basketweave Scarf by Sarah Blalock 

I only made two resolutions this year which are both self-serving in a good way. Of course, many of my fellow bloggers already know this because when they asked on their own blogs about resolutions, I freely shared this information. First, I've decided that I'm going to finally teach myself how to knit. Well, actually, purl. You see a few years ago, when eyelash scarves were all the rage, I bought a kit and taught myself how to knit. I made a bunch of scarves in all sorts of fabulous colors using all sorts of fabulous specialty yarns. Everybody got scarves for Christmas that year. Then. . . well, I sort of lost interest and packed up the needles and a bunch of unfinished projects and moved on. Still, I found that knitting was a heckuva lot easier than I thought it would be and decided that "one of these days" I'd give real knitting a shot. I chose two patterns specifically that I wished to attempt. My goal was to begin them some time around Easter and have them done before Labor Day, but I've already finished one and begun another. If that was all the knitting I completed this year, I'd be happy. The important thing was to finish both projects. The full story will need a blog post all its own, so I'll just leave it at that for now.

Second, I decided I really needed to read more. This decision was a result of my downloading the Kindle app for PC. Of course, I downloaded the app (free from Amazon.com and available here) some time in November, but didn't even begin reading anything until December 29th! You see, I have a tendency to jump into things and throughly overwhelm myself. In typical "me" fashion, I began searching Amazon for free Kindle books and found that there are literally tens of thousands available if you share my areas of interest. I'm a nut for pre-20th century European literature and most books written before 1923 can be found for free or at ridiculously low prices. Between downloads and my Amazon wish list, I've got enough books to last me years if I never stop reading except for meals and bathroom breaks. However, I figure if I stop eating, the bathroom breaks would be greatly reduced. The problem is that I had given myself so many choices that I couldn't decide where to begin.

So what happened around Christmas that got me reading? Although I was an English major (who never finished college) I hadn't read a real book in several years. In fact, I'm not certain when I stopped reading or even which book was the last I read in it's entirety (the last one I started and didn't finish was Vonnegut's The Sirens of Titan), so getting back into the habit wasn't so much difficult as it was "not so easy." Choosing a title was the hard part. Thankfully, a friend of mine gifted me with the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. That was better than hitting the Staples EASY button. I LOVE vampire stories, can't get enough of them as a matter of fact, so good or bad if the book's got a vampire in it, I'll at least read the first few chapters. I began reading Twilight on Wednesday, December 29th and finished Breaking Dawn (the fourth and, for now, final book in the series) on Wednesday, January 5th. I won't go into a full review. After reading the Twilight series, I needed more vamps, so I read The Bite of Silence by Mary Hughes (be warned, this one's vampire erotica and NC-17). Then I started Cries of Vampira, a novella by Sean H. Robertson. Thus far, I've read the first chapter and closed it for now. I was having trouble focusing on it because there were crochet projects that beckoned for my attention. Now my goal is to finish 20-30 books this year. I've posted a list at the bottom of my blog page so I can keep track and give each a rating. My current count is ten books finished and six more started.

Bread Basket Kitchen Set

NOW I can talk about my real achievement: my latest crochet projects. You see, one of the reasons I've been reading so much is that I can do it without overworking my hands which, after finishing my Christmas projects, were in agony. The weather of late hasn't helped. I'll be seeing a rheumatologist soon to make it official, but I've pretty much already been diagnosed with arthritis. The wear and tear put on my joints in my many years of retail (you only think all retailers do is ring a register and snap their gum) has completely caught up with me at this point. I won't go into the full history here. . .Suffice it to say I'll never be able to work in brick and mortar retail again. Anyhow, the Bread Basket Kitchen Set is finished, posted, and selling on Etsy and Ravelry. I'm also working on a couple of other ideas including a second towel to coordinate with the Bread Basket collection. I've been playing with some of my favorite crochet stitches so I can offer some really pretty items that are also fairly simple and quick.

Enjoy the pictures and check out the new patterns as I post them, will ya? Give me a reason to keep my aching fingers busy!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

This is not my favorite Christmas song.  I don't think I really have one, actually.  However this arrangement combined with the song and its sentiment IS my favorite.  So to heck with political correctness!  Merry Christmas to one and all.

It's All Japanese to Me. . .Part Two!

slipper sock by sharon klinsky adjusted to fit my two year old niece

simple earth hat by laurie laliberte

Now where were we?  Oh yeah, so in the midst of entertaining myself with all these delicious hats and scarves and shawls (oh my!) the weather turned cold, not just autumn cold, New England cold.  I think I mentioned in my last post that the high would be around 25 degrees.  (Yeah, I'd never survive a winter in Minnesota without a big sheepdog and a husband.  ;oP)  So my darling eight year old nephew, N, asked me to make him a winter hat because his old hat had a hole and Mom tossed it in the trash last spring.  I spent a few days scouring Ravelry and Crochet Pattern Central and I found two patterns I liked.  I began working one of them but it just wasn't working out the way I wanted it.  The other really lent itself to a two color design, but I was trying to use up some of the navy left over from my own scarf and hat project.  N got home from school one afternoon and saw that I was in the process of frogging the hat I'd begun earlier that day.  He asked why I was taking it apart and I explained that I just didn't like it after all.  To which he replied, "What about one of your designs?"  (Well DUH!)  I swear, half the time this kid acts like he's only four or five, then he has these glimmers of maturity when he acts as though he's about thirty.  This was one of those moments.  I mean, the whole reason I made the two men's hat patterns that I sell in my shops is that I couldn't find any men's hats patterns I actually liked!  So, Auntie Laurie, why DIDN'T you just start with one of the hats you created?  I showed N the pics from the Ravelry listings of the two hats I offer and he chose the Simple Earth hat. To further emphasize my own stupidity, I should tell you that the kid modeling the finished example on Etsy and Ravelry is the nephew in question.  All I needed to do to shrink the pattern enough to fit him was work it with a smaller (G) hook.

slipper sock by sharon klinsky
pattern adjusted to fit me

Okay, done. . .finally time to just knuckle down and finish those slipper socks I started for myself back in October.  This is one of the most versatile and easy to adjust patterns I've ever worked. I'll tell ya Sharon Klinsky, their designer, is a GENIUS!  Adjusting the pattern to accommodate different sizes, widths, etc is so easy it's criminal.  No, they're not glamorous, but they're extremely warm because they're worked with two strands of yarn and they work up quickly because of the simplicity of the design.  In just a few hours I made a pair to give to my two year old niece for Christmas. I will warn you if you're prone to discomfort/pain in your hands for any reason, these can be tough to work.  My fingers are still stiff a day after finishing the pair I made for the little one (partially from the crocheting, partially from the weather).  Still, I'd like to make a few more pairs before Christmas, one for each of her brothers and another for myself so my feet won't be cold while I wash my first pair.

Somehow in this flurry of activity I WAS able to finish the cross stitching on the towel in my "Cross-Stitchable" collection.  I'm sure I'll be listing that before this post hits your screen, at least that's my intent.  I must say that I really like it and I'm darn proud of it because I've never written a cross stitch pattern before.  (Can you tell I can't wait to show it off?)  Anyhow, now that I've brought you full circle, perhaps I should get to the reason for these two posts. . .

plaits & bobbles hat by michele thompson

After seeing N's hat, his Mom asked if I had, already made, a hat in my stash that would coordinate with her winter coat.  Immediately I thought of one I made last winter that I absolutely love.  I originally made the pattern for myself a couple of years ago in a solid lilac acrylic.  I made it again in this aran fleck that just seemed to beg for this pattern when I picked it up at the craft store.

Note:  I searched everywhere so I could link this pattern, but it's nowhere to be found.

What better to go with a beige and chocolate brown coat, right?  Wrong.  Mom tried it on and wasn't crazy about the way it slouched on her. She asked for something more fitted.  So I searched. . .and searched. . .and I found a few styles that I thought would suit her simple/less embellished style.  We settled on chocolate brown for the color so I wouldn't have to order yarn before getting started and I pulled up my Ravelry queue to show her the styles I had chosen for her.  She stood over my shoulder as I clicked from one style to the next and suddenly I heard, "Wait, stop!  Click that one."  "THIS one?"  "Yeah, that one.  Do you have that color?  Not the blue, the green under it." She had spotted a pretty puff stitch beret/tam style I had queued for myself.  Well, it just so happens that yes, I DID have that color in my stash AND the pattern from Pierrot Yarns was FREE!  Within an hour, I was comfy on the couch with my laptop on the coffee table in front of me and the project begun.

In the interest of saving paper I rarely print patterns.  Instead I save them on my laptop so I can carry them almost anywhere.  However, I need to get around to creating a better filing system.

By the time dinner was ready I was tweaking the pattern slightly so it would better suit Mom's face shape vs. the Japanese model in the picture.  By bedtime the hat was done and it looked great. . .and great on her.  So why is this particular project blogworthy?  Because the doggone thing's in Japanese! Honestly, I believe the two most beautiful sources on Ravelry for free patterns are the Japanese companies (which I lump under one umbrella) and Drops Design.  Both have attention to detail that we Americans often overlook.  Of course, the drawback to each of them is that neither is written in American terminology.  That's why I hadn't made projects from either group until now.

oval tiny bubbles scrubby by laurie laliberte

When I first sat down to make Mom's hat, I groaned.  I had forgotten that it was a Japanese pattern.  Okay, deep breath. The All Shawl pattern was written AND had a chart.  Heck, I had WRITTEN a chart for my Oval Tiny Bubbles Scrubby so I could better visualize the end product.  (I later wrote the instructions by following that chart.)  I knew I could make the hat by working completely from the chart.  I just had to find a key so I could be certain I was reading it correctly.  I found a great conversion chart and set to work.  By the time I began the third round, I was able to follow the pattern without a second thought and it was a breeze.  All in all, I think the finished project turned out great AND it did wonders for my self confidence.  I still can't read Japanese, but now I know I can work any of the Japanese patterns available on Ravelry. . .and so can you!

As always, Happy Crocheting!

All of the items pictured in this article were crocheted by Laurie Laliberte using Lily Sugar 'n Cream except the slipper socks which were done in Pisgah Peaches 'n Creme 100% cotton worsted weight yarn.  All photos were taken by and are property of Laurie Laliberte.

It's All Japanese to Me. . .Part One

waikiki scarf by marilyn losee

graceful soft mesh beret by kathy north

My most recent projects have been for myself and for friends rather than for public viewing, which is why you all haven't heard much from me.  As I was about to post a lengthy story on Ravelry documenting my latest adventure in crochet involving a beautiful pattern not my own, I realised that the story involving this particular item is simply too lengthy to sum up on a project page.  Besides, I thought giving this one a bit of space on my blog would help any of you who are now in the same spot I was when I began this project.  Enough with the foreshadowing, read on. . .

grandpa's sweater towel by laurie laliberte

This autumn has been full of newness for me and a sort of coming out of my comfort zone.  It actually began with the creation of my "Grandpa's Sweater" kitchen set patterns.  Although I've used front post and back post stitches quite a bit, and really enjoy working them, I don't recall ever working crocheted cables before.  That made developing the Grandpa's Sweater patterns quite a challenge.  I had a vision of what I wanted to do, but I had to actually learn how to do it properly before I translated it into a workable project for selling.  I researched the technique and found it to be quite easy, but not so simple.  Anyhow, I was finally able to develop a design that made me happy as well as proud.  Still, when I look at the photos of those finished pieces, I feel a sense of accomplishment because the finished pieces are beautiful translations of my initial vision.

cross-stitchable towel by laurie laliberte

Next came a set that's still sort of in the development stages. . .the "Cross-Stitchable" set.  The initial examples are crocheted and photographed, but I still need to cross stitch the designs on some of the pieces and finish writing up the patterns for the pot holder and scrubby.  While I am by no means new to cross stitch (if you read my last post, you know that all too well) I was nowhere near an expert with Tunisian, also known as Afghan, crochet.  I suppose I won't be rushing to develop tons of new patterns involving the Afghan technique, but the process of re-learning how to do it and putting it into practice got me to appreciate the finished project more than I did before.  It also sparked a curiosity.  I sought out and bookmarked some very pretty Tunisian lace patterns thanks again to Ravelry and actually crocheted a Tunisian lace scarf in a rich chocolate brown.  The pattern is by Elisa Purnell of Yarn Tails.  (In addition to beautiful patterns, her stories about her granddaughters make her blog a must-follow.)  Talk about being out of my comfort zone!  I don't think I've ever been so nervous when beginning a project.  Anyhow, it turned out to be pretty easy and, I believe it's one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever made.  Of course, no scarf should stand on its own, so I had to make a hat to coordinate with it.  I tend to avoid matchy-matchy clothing so I found a hat, designed by Ashley Kaye, that's got a similar feel and made it in the same chocolate brown with accents of sage green.  Mittens may be next, that is if I can find the time to develop a mitten pattern because I think I may want them to match the hat. . .We'll see.

all shawl by doris chan

Somewhere in this time frame, my old buddy Meghan over at Crochet Every Day posted the All Shawl by Doris Chan as one of her projects. Now, I HAVE worked lace before, but only in smaller projects/quantities.  I did a Christmas stocking a few years ago that had a lace cuff worked in the same worsted weight yarn as the body of the stocking and, more recently, I completed a scarf by Marilyn Losee with which I fell absolutely in love.  Honestly, if you've never worked lace before, either of these two would make a great first lace project.  They can both be worked beautifully in worsted weight yarn with average size hooks, so you can concentrate on the pattern rather than teensy stitches made of thread.  (My eyes and hands can't do traditional lace, so you'll never see it on my hook.)  Both patterns are also surprisingly simple and easy to follow.  Of course, my intent with the All Shawl was to wear it as an extra layer around the house, but it needed a hat for when it goes outside on my shoulders.  Fortunately, I found one on Ravelry by Amanda Muscha.  It's meant to be a hybrid with the band worked in a simple knit and purl rib, but I can't purl, so I used a basic front post/back post instead.  I have yet to look for and find a hat pattern to match Marilyn's design.  Any suggestions?

crocheted mesh scarf by heidi hirtle

Moving on. . .My newly developed obsession with lace and openwork led me to this simple but luscious  scarf designed by Heidi Hirtle.  Of course, I'm not one to wear a short scarf, so I didn't stop until this one measured about seven feet!  There's a method to the madness there. You see, this finished scarf measures about sixteen inches wide which means it would make a lovely summer shawl if worked in a lightweight worsted or sport yarn, but it's cold here in New England right now (today's high will be around 25 degrees), so bunching it and wearing it doubled as per the recent trend in scarves makes it so cozy warm that it can be worn in this weather with a proper hat.  Which brings me to. . .this fabulous beret by Kathy North.  I know, I know, a mesh hat's not really going to keep my head warm, but I have tons of hair so I'm not really concerned with that.  I just made certain to work enough rows in the band so my ears are properly covered.

combination summer hat by amanda muscha

puff striped slouch hat by ashley kaye

Whew!  Here I go again offering up paragraph after paragraph and project after project. Meanwhile, I haven't even touched upon the reason I began writing this post in the first place!  Oh well, you'll just have to wait until next time. . . (Insert evil grin here.)  While you're waiting, why not check out some of those terrific patterns and designers for your next project?  You can also see more photos and details about my finished projects by taking a peek at my Ravelry projects page.

* * *

tunisian lace scarf by elisa purnell

All of the items pictured in this article were crocheted by Laurie Laliberte using Pisgah Peaches 'n Creme 100% cotton worsted weight yarn.  All except the cross-stitchable towel were laundered before they were photographed which adds some loft to the finished product.  Some were blocked; some were tumble dried to add more loft.  All photos were taken by and are property of Laurie Laliberte.

Where's the New Stuff?

I was born and raised in Manchester, NH as was my dad.  Mom's journey was a bit more involved, but she did most of her growing up there.  The core of my mother's side of the family, my grandparents, pretty much  stayed in Manchester, in the same neighborhood, for most of the time I remained in the city.  Dad's side spread all over, so I didn't get the benefit of their company except at weddings, funerals, and holidays.  No, my aim here is not to give you my complete life history, simply to segue into the reason that the following info may be terribly inaccurate.

Dad's sister (one of five) Irene lived with her husband and kids in Hampton, NH which was an hour drive from Manchester.  We weren't close in proximity or spirit, but here's what I've been able to piece together based on what I do know:  Auntie Irene was the quintessential craft lady.  Rather than work a typical 9 to 5 job, she worked from home where she raised two daughters and made extra income by selling her wares at craft fairs and shows.  Nearly every Christmas gift from my Aunt Irene was handmade, from the stocking knitted the year I was born, to the beautiful life-sized rag doll when I was about 3 or 4, to the giant stuffed peanut in honor of Jimmy Carter's election as president.  My cousins and I looked forward to Auntie Irene's creations every year and they were truly treasured objects meant to be used, played with, and eventually lost to years of loving wear.

The last gift I received before she and my uncle Romie retired to Florida was a cross stitch kit when I was 13.  Although I had already developed a healthy respect for handcrafts, thanks to my mothers talent for crochet and my father's for ceramics, this 3x5" kit was a catalyst for what would become a long-running love affair with cross-stitch embroidery.  Unfortunately, my eyes and hands are not what they once were and I am no longer able to produce items that require such detail, but I can contribute a few objects to entertain those of you who enjoy cross-stitching as much as I once did.  When I was cross-stitching regularly I loved that I could use such a simple process to embellish mundane items like kitchen towels and pot holders.

So why am I telling you all of this?  Truth be told, I'm hoping a somewhat interesting back story will be a sufficient substitution for new patterns, at least for now.  About a month ago I was inspired by a towel I  embellished nearly 20 years ago.  It's become so sad looking and worn that I wondered if I could create a version of my own.  Easier said than done.  This has become a much bigger undertaking than I expected.  As with any towel I design, I wanted to create a set that also included a pot holder and scrubby.  MAKING these projects has been a heckuvalot easier than translating the instructions into language simple enough for a crochet newbie, but I'm almost there and I hoped to have the whole set available before Thanksgiving.  (So much for THAT deadline.)  Of all my designs, this is the one that has required the most research, labor, time, and patience.  When you see the finished patterns, you'll understand, but here's a sneak peek at the works in progress:

This post, somewhat of a tribute to my Aunt, is significant on this of all days because we drove that sometimes treacherous 60 minutes from Manchester to Hampton every Thanksgiving morning to have dinner and spend a wonderful holiday with Dad's entire side of the family.  I've been told many a time that Mom went into labor (with me) right after one of those dinners, but that's a story for another time...maybe next year.  Happy Thanksgiving and much love to one and all.

A Plug for Megan

You know, it just occurred to me that the way Megan and I support each other you'd think we'd been friends forever.  Truth be told, one of us found the other's blog shortly after I began writing mine and we became fast internet friends.  Who knows if we'll ever actually meet in person, but we share common interests and a very healthy respect for one another.  That said, as SUPREME RULER of the Big Girl Blog, I command you to visit Megan's blog and check out her giveaway week.  Today is the last day she'll be listing giveaways, but entries begin closing on the 24th (?)....yeah, okay, so maybe I should have checked before I began writing, huh?

And if you don't recognize me as supreme ruler I'll get over it, but do yourself a favor and check out her blog anyway because the giveaways this week are great (two of them are from Yours Truly) and because the premise of her blog is awesome!  It's called Crochet Every Day.  She's posting one pattern each day in 2010 and she's working every one of them.  Her goal is to finish all 365 projects by 2014 and she's well on her way.  (Good thing it's not a leap year, huh?)  If you're not a crocheter, check it out anyway; you may become one.

NOW GO!  THE SUPREME RULER COMMANDS YOU.  Pay no attention to the woman behind the afghan.  ;o)