hopefully you like posts about blankets...

So, sewing time has been in short supply, but a month of watching baseball practices and swimming lessons has left me with plenty of time for hooking.  Um, crocheting, that is. 

#1: baby blanket for expectant parents that refuse to find out the sex.  Which I consider most inconsiderate.  Hopefully this blanket is neutral enough (believe me, I've been going through lots of moments of doubt about this one).  The much used Catherine Wheel stitch, again...  What can I say?  I like that stitch.

#2: lap blanket for my Nan. Um, Catherine Wheel stitch again.

#3: baby blanket for a friend's baby boy.  My favourite of the boy blankets that I've made so far, which lets you know just how boring my taste is.

#4: baby blanket for my daughter's baseball coach (his wife is pregnant with a boy).  He's an Angel's fan, if you were wondering about the redness of that red.  At least, I think that's what he said.

Last practice of the season tonight.  I'm feeling a little lost without a blanket to work on.  Then it's tape-delayed opening ceremony watching time.  Take care all,

Quiet time

Why is the dog sleeping under the table?  Yeah, that might just be about the only place that he can find a quiet place to sleep this summer...  I know that I haven't been finding much quiet time for sewing.  The shirt that I have planned is yet to be cut out and has stayed that way for weeks.

  

Quick projects, like crayon rolls, seem to be about all that I can manage with the kids running about the place (made using my lazy crayon roll method).  

It didn't help that we were without a car for a few days.  In fact, the first half of the summer was just a run of bad luck, with one thing going wrong after another.  I would probably have forgotten my birthday if the people around me had not mentioned it.  The day still pretty much passed unnoticed, as we had already made plans for that day by accident, but it was a good day.  Yeah, birthdays feel different when you're older.  I've also noticed that bike seats were a lot more comfortable back in the day.  Thank goodness I've got the car back again now...

Oh, I did drag out the sewing machine for 5 minutes at the start of the summer - a quick flag bunting made out of a cheap multi-pack of little flags and some bias tape.  I know that I might give the impression that most of my sewing has a British slant, if any, but I will sometimes make something American for my half American family.  Actually, that's a lie.  This is probably the first American thing that I've made.  

Well, can you blame me?  My kids are growing up saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school and celebrating Independence Day.  Surely it's my job to make sure that there's some British heritage thrown into the mix, too.  Take our summer so far: lots of baseball, both little and big league... 

 and even a Civil War reenactment thrown in...

Thank goodness there's a trip home to England to address the balance.

Although, I must admit, if it wasn't for those long-sleeved dresses on a boiling hot day, that doesn't look a bad way to pass an afternoon...


Translation of the Day:
UK English: shagging = um, sexual intercourse in US English
I know that I've mentioned that one before, as apparently the Americans have some sort of swing dance known as the Shag.  Still, it made me look up from my crocheting when I heard my son's coach say 'shagging' during baseball practice.  


As far as I can tell, in US English: shagging =  practicing chasing and catching fly balls
A fly ball is a ball hit up in an arc.  Don't expect much more baseball knowledge from me - whenever I think that I have finally got a grasp of this game, they spring yet another new rule on me.  Imagine rounders, but with a longer bat and hundreds of additional rules...

Three

Three reversible tote bags made for three wonderful teachers three weeks ago...  What can I say?  These first three weeks of summer have been a long three weeks.  The eldest hamster passed away right at the start of it.  I was the one crying the longest and hardest.  Maybe a little too much, considering that when we found a dead rat in our yard (dropped by a passing bird of prey?) my kids' first reaction was to look at me worriedly and say, "you're not going to cry, are you mum?"

Even Independence Day ended in tears, having to rush our eldest dog to the Emergency Vet because he was having trouble with his breathing (he's home and doing better now).  I really need to sit him down and explain that he needs to work on improving his timing.  So far all urgent appointments for him have been held on holiday days: it wasn't easy finding a surgeon available on Memorial Weekend a few years back and so far this year it's been Christmas Day and the Fourth of July...  I might be crying a third time, once I check our bank balance...

So, three reversible tote bags - plus some English fudge - made as a little extra to go with the class gift.  

Totes because they've banned stores from giving out plastic bags around here, so you can not have too many totes.  

Reversible because I can not control the impulse to use apple theme fabric on a teacher's gift, but I can make it so that they can turn it inside out and not have to look at it...

I had less than three hours sleep last night, so I'll call it a day now.  There's lots of baseball practices and swimming lessons and free concerts and free movies at the beach and free movies at the park going on around here, but hopefully it won't be three weeks before I post next.  I'm making lots of progress on my crochet projects, for starters...