Crocheted Charm!

26/10/2012

Bonjour mes amis!

Many of you know that I come from a Family of Crafty People...okay, now don't run with that in a bad way.  My Mom, Grandmas, Great-Aunt, and several Aunts have/had talents like you can't believe, in many different Crafts...

As a young girl, I grew up sitting on the sofa visiting with my Grandma on Long Island, racing against her to crochet those Lovely 70's vests!  Today, we might look back and go "ewwwww" to those vests, or who knows, maybe their "stylin'" now...yes, yes, I think so...but in an updated kind of way.  Anyway, those were good memories for me of a sweet connection with my Grandma!

Then, I remember staying over at my Great Aunt Margaret's House. She had one of those enclosed front porches with all the windows that looked out onto a busy street...and she happened to have a bed out there, so sometimes I got to sleep there overnight.  I'd wake early with the sun.  She kept a stack of old Workbasket Magazines on that porch, so I would pour through them before anyone else woke up.  I began to love to crochet, and those magazines provided patterns and ideas.  It was the original "Pinterest" for me!

One of my first complicated Crochet projects was a Toy Lion for Girl Scouts.  I think I got a badge for it!

My Mom was always crocheting or knitting, so there was always yarn around.  To this day, we enjoy working our needles together at Christmastime on cold evenings.  My Mother's projects are always more complicated than mine, but we both enjoy it, and get excited talking about new projects together.

My Aunt Alice also did crafts, and I remember when she moved near us in New Jersey.  I was so excited, because I got to spend time at her Apartment making stuff with her.  She even gave me a Challenge...if I used scrap yarn and crocheted all the Granny Squares for an afghan, she would buy the black yarn for the border.  I had no income at that time, so I met her challenge, and still have that afghan, to this day...albeit, it's stashed away in a Antique Blanket Box.

All of the time I've spent crafting and crocheting has stayed with me over the years, and here I am in France, with free time to work on things.  I did bring Crochet Hooks with me...

Soooo....first thing...I made these...because ya gotta have Coasters, right?

Ooooh!  See the blurry buds on top of my Kalanchoe that recently got a Haircut?

***Just one 2.5 oz. skein of Lily Sugar and Cream yarn made these 6 Coasters (FYI...for you fellow crocheters out there)!

Then, I made some Baskets and Napkin Rings with Jute...

Whoops!  Now you can see where we keep our stash of wine corks!

Most recently, I purchased some cloth napkins to add a charming crocheted edge (if I were home in Texas, I would have sewn them myself)!  Before I started, I figured I better do a practice run, so I tried the technique on a hand towel first, and it came out pretty good, see?

I probably shoulda ironed the towel before it's little photo shoot...

I think it came out sweet!

 And now, here's the Before Napkin, plain and boring...

During...

and Now the After...

and in more detail...

...and Ready for Use!

I'm pleased!  I've made six of these so far, but plan to finish 8 of them altogether...

If you would like to tackle this project yourself, you can find very clear and beautiful instructions with "You Go Girl".  Click HERE to learn to secure the blanket stitch, and HERE to learn how to crochet the pretty scalloped edge.

I think these napkins will get lots of use while we are here...
(but not when we have Spaghetti!!!)...
...and they will be a great memory for me to bring back to Texas with me.

Over last weekend, I was invited by a friend to go to a Lace Sale, because she said she knows I "like that kind of stuff".  (Uhm...YES!)  So, I geared up my wits about me to travel on my own, and put the address into the GPS, and I was off...

(I know this sounds like a simple thing, but there are still so many unfamiliar areas here for me,

and it is still a Big Deal for me to take the car out into the unknown...it's getting better, though...)

Anyway, I'm getting off subject...

I did get to the Lace Sale, and let me show you the loot I found...

All Old Lace!

Do you remember my post Empty Attic?  You can view it HERE, if you like.  Well, the Lady who raises money for the Orphans was at the Lace sale with a table of goods, so I did my best to support the Orphans.  Wouldn't this wide lace look pretty on the top edge of some Christmas Stockings?  I'm gonna see what I can do...

I've passed on a love of crafts to my daughters, and we plan projects to do together sometimes...now I even have a daughter-in-love to share with as well...Yeah!  Ms. Emerald loves to Crochet, and she's quite talented.  While I need a pattern for everything, she's a Free-Style Crocheter.  Here's a little bit of her handywork...

A Unicorn Toy for Ms. Sapphire's Puppy!

She's made numerous Scarves for herself and her friends!

This Afghan took a while, but she got it done!

...and you gotta have School Spirit!

Most recently, Ms. Emerald completed a Wedding gift for the Diamond Duo, my older son and daughter-in-love, and here she is presenting it to them...Smiles all around!

Sorry for such a lengthy post today, but I enjoyed my little Trip down Memory Lane, and maybe some of you enjoyed some memories of your own, of a special Grandmother, Mother or Aunt.

Until next time...have a "Jewel" of a day!
Jan