Things are getting better

I know that I haven't posted anything in a long time. I have been really, really, really, busy. I have been in and out of the doctor's office trying to figure out what else is wrong with my back. It's becoming more of a pain in the neck then any thing. I have also re started counseling.... the things I thought I was done dealing with snuck back up and I'm not doing so well with it now. I also set up an counseling appointment for my daughter because she has been lashing out and hitting kids at school.

I am in the middle of moving right now, and I don't have the internet at my new place so I get to hang out with some friends to get online. I feel so........... heck I'm not even sure what word to use... Lost might be a good one due to the fact that every thing is every where and I'm not sure what is in what box.

On to some better things........... My daughter is graduating from preschool this week, and we are going to the zoo. She started Tball a few days ago and just loves it.

I love going and watching her play. I just want to go out on the field and help her but the coaches won't let us. That makes me really sad. I played ball for years. I wanna play again but I cant. It is funny because I just don't just CHEER for my little one but for all the kids. I am glad that she is doing something that she likes. The only thing I don't like is the fact that it only lasts till June. I wish it was longer since she LOVES it so much.

She is doing much better now, She hasn't been really since in a while. ( I probably just jinxed myself.. LOL) She is also growing like a weed. I swear I can't keep up with this girl. She did her hearing and vision test for Kindergarten yesterday and the tester said she did GREAT! She (the tester) was really surprised when my daughter read to her. Her teachers told me if she was old enough they would have moved her to Kindergarten this year. It's amazing.
I am so happy that the summer is here but kind of sad at the same time. I don't crochet much in the summer because I love being outside. We will see what will happen this year. With my health not doing so well, I don't see me doing too much of anything that I used to love doing. Who knows.

I will try to keep posting when I can. It helps me get things out of my head too. Which is a GREAT thing so I'm not stressing out all the time. I would love to keep this going for as long as I can.

I hope you all enjoy this blog that I have started. Love hearing back from everyone too. Feel free to contact me through email if you have any questions.
I hope everyone has a great day.

Crazy... Crazy... Crazy

This month as been TOTALLY crazy. It seems like it's one thing after another lately.. When will it stop! They say things come in threes but this month it seems never ending. I hope with the change of the new month things will settle down. AT least I hope so.

So I haven't really worked on much this past month... I did get some things done. A few baby blankets and a monkey for my soon to be step son. I have got all my yarn taken care of and put away in safe place, and cleaned up my room. That's about it...

I know that I haven't been posting much lately, but with everything that has been going on... I didn't want to blog about it and end up saying things out of anger. That is something I have been working on.... hard at times but at least I am trying. I know that making a change for the better is hard work, but I know it is worth it. I know that God doesn't give us more then we can handle but sometimes I really wonder how much he thinks I can handle. Some times I feel like a pack MULE..

On a better note, I have got all the Easter stuff ready for both kids, Lil Miss's birthday is all set up and ready to go. Just got to figure out how I am supposed to get all the gifts and stuff down to the hall with out her seeing them. I am going to wrap most of them first but it is REALLY hard to WRAP a power wheels John Deere Tractor and Trailer. So I am thinking of wrapping everything and putting all the presents in the back of the trailer and not wrap it, but hide it behind some tables or something.. I don't know yet.

I did add a new tab at the top of the blog. It is in memory of my little brother. Please take the time and tell people how you feel. My brother was only 14 when he died in 2004 and he went to bed and just never woke up. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...... Spend as much time with your family. You never know when their time will be up. God calls us home when our job here done. I know its sad, but it is the truth.

Well it is time for Lil Miss to get ready for bed. So I will talk to you all later. Have a Great Night and Keep on HOOKIN.

Stitches, Stitches Every Where......

Since I have bought the Afghan hook in February, I have been wondering what I can make using it. Today I decided to learn the Tunisian stitch. I watched part of a YouTube video on how to do it and I have started making a purple and light blue baby blanket. I don't think that is a bad idea for a first project using this stitch. It is coming along pretty well I think. I am not sure if I like crocheting like this. It is really different then what I am used it. I have a funny feeling that if I can get this stitch down pretty well that I should be able to teach myself how to knit. (Not sure if that is something I want to learn how to do or not... YET)

This is the video I used to learn how to do this stitch. Tunisian Stitch I'm still not sure if I like this or not. It doesn't feel right. I feel like I should be knitting instead of crocheting. It's weird. So here are some pictures of what I have done already. I hope it turns out right. If anyone knows how to get it to stop curling that would be great. It is starting not to curl so maybe it's just because I'm pulling it too tight. Who knows.

It does look pretty.... doesn't it. I'm thinking this blanket will be for a girl because I have never seen a boy baby blanket with purple it in. Not totally sure yet either. What do you think?

This doesn't seem to be any quicker then when I normally crochet a baby blanket. I feel like I should be farther then what I am. Maybe it seems slower because I am just learning it. I don't know.

I hope this comes out like it is supposed to. I know a lot of people that are having babies this year and I figure if I just make a lot of baby blankets in different colors that I should have everyone covered.. Well... At least I hope so. I think the count is up to 10 or 12 more to go..  I already have made 3 or 4 of them so far. Not sure if I am going to make anything else to go with them or not. Maybe some booties, hats, jackets or vests. Still thinking about that one. I am thinking of trying to find or write up a pattern for pillow shams for toddlers. (I am not to sure if that many people actually use pillows with their babies or not. I  hear that kids shouldn't sleep with pillows till about age one.That's when I gave my daughter her first pillow) That is if no one else gets pregnant this year.

I am not sure why (since Spring is almost here) that I am getting so many new ideas to crochet. I normally crochet during the Winter because during the Spring and Summer; I'm normally outside all day and late into the night. (Yard work, Bonfires, hanging out with friends and family... Etc.)

May be I need to make a bag that I can take my crochet work anywhere with me. That would be a great idea....hmmmmmmmmmmm......... maybe another project at hand.......

This is a close up of the blanket I am making. Not sure if I am doing it right or not, but it looks nice. I am thinking of staying with the purple and the light blue and doing the edge in white or black. I'm not that far yet, so I have time to make that decision.

I feel lost this week. My daughter has been home all week from school due to pink eye (she normally goes Monday - Thursday). She was sent home from school Monday because she was throwing up. Tuesday she woke up with green gunk and crustiness on her eye... So today is the last day for the eye drops (which have been nothing but a fight) and I am soooooooo GLAD for that. Who in their right mind gives a five year old eye drops?? I wonder if there is anything else they could have given her...... Well now that she is feeling better, it seems like everyone else in town is getting sick too. Maybe we should have had a sicky party... LOL.

Well I'm off here for now. I will post more pics when I get them taken of this blanket. I hope everyone is having a great day and GOD bless.

Business Cards

So I decided to make business cards and I can't decide between 5 of them. I didn't think it was going to be this hard. I put them up to a vote on Kountry Crochet Fan Page. I decided to have the voting end the 31st of this month (March 2013) but I am not sure if I want it to go longer or not. I like the idea of the cards because most of the things I make I just give away. Soooo... If I make something and give it away or someone orders something, then I can include a business card with it along with a receipt. Word of mouth works wonders.. Here are the 5 cards that I am stuck between. What one do you like. Would you do anything different one them. (yes i know my address and contact info is missing.. did that on purpose.)

This is card number one. I like the flowers and the dragonflies on it.

This is card number number two. I like the owls. I think they are cute

This is card number three. I just like this one. Its pretty.

This is card number four. I just LOVE this one. So far this one has the most votes on the fan page. I just love it. If there wasn't a contest going on this would be the one I would choose.

This is card number five. It looks more like something you would find in a bake shop. But it is still cute.







So.... since I am still stuck and the voting isn't doing so well. What do you all think. I can't wait to find out which one wins. I'm so happy.

Monkey See.. Monkey Doo....

I get so EXCITED when my new issue of Crochet World comes in. I love looking for new ideas or just reading the fan stuff too. Most of the time nothing really POPs out at me, but this month there are a couple things that I thought were really COOL.

This monkey is soooooo cute. I'm working on it right now and it is so easy to make. I am using the brightest colors I have because the person I'm making it for is turning 3 this year. It would probably be done already, but I haven't been feeling well at all. This weather change we are having isn't making me feel any better either.

The school called the other day, Lil Miss is throwing up.... GREAT........... So, I go and pick her up and she kept throwing up. Just bread now.. It worked. She went to bed feeling fine and I was going to send her to school the next day, but..... She woke up burning up with her eye all RED, crusty, and green gunk coming out... Well... Dang it.... I know what it is.

So since she is a new patient at her pedi's, they wouldn't see her so I took her to er. She got looked over and was given eye drops and no school till its totally clear in both eyes. So now my time is spent, chasing a 4 year old around my house making sure she is washing her hands and not touching her eyes. Then I have to chase her down every 3 hrs to fight with her for the eye drops. I really can't wait for her to go back to school.

This is my monkey so far, I made a few changes. His eyes are supposed to be flat against his head and I filled them so they would  pop. I am not sure if I like this or not. For some reason that I don't know... one ear ended up a little bit bigger then the other. Oh well. I think it has character. LOL.

I did learn something new making this monkey and that is how to make the loops for the hair. I really did not know how to do that. I like it. I think his eyes look like frog eyes. Ooooppppsss...

So now, sitting around doing nothing. Well not really. This is doing something right... I mean you are really never doing NOTHING. You are always breathing and ..........................


Wow.. Where did that all come from... Talk about losing my train of thought. Any way. I can't wait to give this monkey to my lil buddy. I know he loves monkeys and he is always climbing on top of things. Its GREAT. I love spending time with him!! He is just so darn cute. ( I will have to talk to his daddy and see if I can post pics of him. :) )


 This is the other pattern I am thinking of trying to do. It is soo cute too. These two patterns POPPED right out at me and were SCREAMING at me to make them. I agreed. I am also sharing the pattern with Missa and my mom who both fell in love with this and lil monkey.

I know Missa has been waiting on me to fill some patterns for her that I told her I had but I'm sure she understands what is going on... If not... I can send LIL MISS to her house.... LOL.. Too bad it wasn't the chicken pox. Then we could have a chicken pox party!!! WOOT! I will have to keep that in mind. Well, its been about 2 hrs since I did Lil Miss's eye drops and I know as soon as she sees me reach for the bottle she is gonna FREAK again..
Fun fun.
Catch ya later HOOKIES





Well.. Well... Well... Guess what!! I finished the monkey. It turned out soooooooooooooo CUTE!! I can't wait for my (soon to be) step son to see it. I made it for him for Easter. I can't wait!!!! His dad told me that no matter what.... I CAN NOT GIVE IT TO HIM UNTIL EASTER!!! Well............ where is the fun in that..... :(  Oh well. I'm going to go to Goodwill and find some baskets and make our OWN Easter baskets. Then I just found that we are going to be doing an Easter Egg hunt with the kids. Oh happy memories!! I love memories!! Ok.. Enough chit chat. Here are the pics of the finished monkey!!! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!!

This is the picture I took right after I got done with it. I already have another order for one. My neighbor is having a little boy and she wants one. I think I am going to make her monkey John Deere Colors. :)
This second picture is just me trying to get a good picture of it. For some reason my camera on my old phone doesn't always work right. I'm thinking it may be time to save up some money and buy a new camera.

The third picture shows how long his tail is. A fan on our Facebook page has stated that she has made this same monkey and the tail ended up the same with hers too. That means neither of us messed up and that is how the pattern is supposed to be. I tried many different ways of pinning up the tail but it just didn't look right to me.

  
Just one last picture. It is just too cute. I love it. I am so happy on how it turned out. I just hope he likes it as much as I do. Easter can NOT get here fast enough. I am soooo HAPPY!! :)

If anyone wants this pattern.. please let me know. It is not my own. It came from my Crochet World Magazine. I will be more the happy to share it with everyone. In the next few months, the maker of this pattern is making different animals. I know I have another pattern that she has written. I believe it is a dog. The next issue I believe is an elephant. If this keeps up, my buddy is gonna have his very own zoo soon. That is a GREAT IDEA!! 




                            MONKEY SEE... MONKEY DO!!!

Every 28 Days.....

I swear... Some times people are so bored that they have to start drama. I have finally figured out why. Wanna find out... It makes perfect sense too. Ok, let me explain a little bit and then I will tell you what I figured out.

This past week has been WONDERFULLLY filled with HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA. Yes, I know. It just some times it feels like everyone is going nuts at the same time. I know things normally come in 3s but a WHOLE WEEK?? WOW. What did I do to become so SPECIAL in so many people's lives that DRAMA keeps tryin to pop its UGLY head in???


SO what did I figure out... Its simple really................


DRAMA IS LIKE A PERIOD; IT COMES FLOWING IN EVERY 28 DAYS..................................


I swear it is the way it happens. Some one has to be PMSing some WHERE right?!?!?!?! LOL. So ok that is my little vent. So now onto bigger and better things..

So with all this going on I have managed to finish the blanket I was working on and I know started a monkey for my little buddy for Easter. He will be three this year and so I'm using the brightest colors I have. To me it looks a lil girly but i will see what I can do with it. I can't wait for him to see it. I also made him this hat:




I am really liking how things are coming together. As the years that I have been crochet keep adding up, my skills are getting better. (To bad I can't say that about my body.  LOL) My AWESOME neighbor got a new rocking chair so she gave me her old one. It would be awesome to find a foot stool to go with so I can crochet and rock in it at the same time.

Well time for this Hooker to go get some coffee and clean up a little bit. It is rainy here and icky out and I really don't want to do anything. Is that just me?? I hate gloomy weather. I rather have it nice and sun shinning out. The sun is my friend..............

With Just a Little Help.....

So I  started making a baby blanket for a friend of mine since we cut a deal on my next tattoo. (I'm not posting his name or anything like that until I talk to him about it first) I had him come over and pick out the colors he wanted since I just got done buying new yarn. I was shocked at the colors he picked out. I tried and tried and tried to figure out how to make these colors work well. Finally after about 3 days and talking to Missa; I finally figured it out.

So far so good. I have added some white to make it a little bit longer on the account I only had 1 skein of one color he wanted and only 2 of the other. Plus the white looks cool too. I have decided to edge it out in all black when its done. I think it will turn out pretty well.

I tried pattern after pattern and finally I just gave up. One day I just picked up the yarn and my lucky H hook and started crocheting. Once again the yarn and the hook knew what was going work. I really need to start trusting my yarn more. :)  This is what is looks like so far. I'm pretty happy with it.

Thanks Missa for dealing with me and helping me figure out how to get these colors to work. I know we talk and talk and talk for days on end to try to figure this out. You told me "GOOD LUCK!" Well my friend... We FIGURED it out!! WOOT! I can not wait to see what it looks like when it is done.

So as I working on this blanket and our dogs are going crazy and running through the house. It's quite comical because I own a little 9 week old Chi Weenie and my friend owns 3 other small dogs. Of course mine is the smallest out of all of them and he is the one attacking. WHOA hold on.. Getting off topic here..

Anyway. Like I said, sitting here crocheting this blanket and Hunter cant jump on the furniture.. (Not that he isn't trying.. he just isn't that big yet.) So I reach down and grab him.. He starts messing with the blanket I am making. Chewing on it, laying on it and what not. I sooo had to take pictures. It was soo cute.  Now he is passed out on my lap fast asleep.

So now that he is settled down and is sleeping, may be  I can get some more of this blanket done. For some reason the animals think it's time to take a nap when I bring the yarn out. Must be the feel of it. I know if i had a blanket made I would use it all the time. Speaking of which... That may be something I am going to have to make. I keep making blankets for everyone else.. now it's about time I make myself one too.

I have actually got a lot done on this blanket. It doesn't seem like it but it is getting bigger so it must be working.. I am really glad that these colors are working well together now that we have it figured out. Sometimes getting outside help really does help. I am quite proud of this blanket and what it is becoming. It's so pretty.

I'm guessing that it is time to put the crocheting away now. I think my couch ate my hook. :( My couches seem to like crochet hooks; I swear it's the only thing the couch eats. GRRR. I don't even have to move and the couch eats it. Oh well. Since no more crocheting for the night, time to find something else to do. Maybe a nice hot bubble bath, a good book, some television..Who knows....

Well today wasn't very successful that's for sure. I cleaned, did laundry and cooked dinner. I think I worked on this blanket for a total of 15 mins so far today. I might be able to get some more done if Lil Miss chills out and watches television or reads a book. She has been wound for sound today. I think she is coming down with a case of Spring Fever. I can't blame her. I'm getting it too.

I am about half way done with this pretty baby blanket I am making and I'm really excited to get it done. I wanna see how it comes out and how it looks. I know that I want to edge the whole thing with black but I am not sure what kind of edging I want to do. It's for a girl I believe so I have lots of options. I will post a pattern for this blanket when it is completely done. (I will make sure to have it linked to this page too.)

I have finally got the blanket done. I think it turned out pretty well. I really hope my friend likes it since I made it for them. I am glad it's done because I know he will send me pics of the baby in it. I can't wait. Now here is what it turned out to be and I would love comments and any feed back on it.

Snow Day

So school was cancelled today… So what happens.. My daughter hears the alarm go off at 6 this morning and stays up. FUN FUN. Now we are watching cartoons and slowly cleaning the house up. We have really don’t have anything planned out for today since she is supposed to be in school.. I swear Mother Nature never had any kids.

So cartoons has been what we have been watching.... what happened to the old cartoons? They need to bring them back. I bet the kids now would love them. I have chatted with Melissa most of the day. Done some laundry and right now I'm taking a break.  Then in a few.. it's time to vacuum the floors and do up the dishes. I feel like I need a nap been going since 6 this morning. WOW! What a long day it has been so far. I feel like I haven't gotten anything done. Oh well. Must be the weather.

My daughter (Angellicka - but I call her lil miss) seems to have an attitude today. Not sure why either. She seems to be going through the teen years a tad bit early. She will be 5 in April so I'd say a LOT early. WOW! Not really sure what to do about this. I sent her to her room figuring she will either calm down and do what I asked her or she will take a nap. Either is fine with me. I'm thinking she is tired since she has been up since 6 am too. About 20 mins after I sent her up to her room, she comes down and starts doing what I asked...mmmmm..... I wonder what happened up there. She was the only one up there too. WOW! What a change in attitude. I like this one much better. :)

Well, since I got the house clean. I guess it's time to go figure out what is for dinner. I will see you all tomorrow.

Later I do know that I am going to be working a baby blanket for a friend of mine and probably going through my patterns again. Trying to get every thing organized so I know where something is when I need it. I don’t like having my craft supplies all over the place. Drives me crazy. 

What are some of your pet peeves??

Kountry Crochet 101

I came up with Kountry Crochet because I love living out in the country and I like to crochet. I didn't like the way Country Crochet looked so I just changed it up a little bit.

We do have a facebook page Kountry Crochet that is ran with the help of  my friend Melissa, who also runs her own page CrochetingClub with my help.

We have decided that since we run both pages, work on the CrochetingClub newsletter together and we both have blogs for both pages that we might as well work on the blogs together too. Any posts made on +Kountry Crochet by Melissa will be signed ~MH~ and any posts on Crocheting Club by me will be signed ~B~. Any post that is not signed on either blog is written by the owner of the blog.

I do sell some of the stuff I make. If there is something you see please feel free to ask about it. I don't charge for any patterns and most of the patterns I do use I either find online or I try to write myself.

We will talk about our personal lives, our facebook pages and many other things. Please no BASHING. We voice our views and feelings and we are only human. If you don't agree with something don't say anything or email the person in private. Don't do it where everyone can see it.


Please play fair and lets 

Snow Storm Warning

So the snow started falling around 5pm today, and it is still coming down. They said on the news they are predicting around 9-15 inches. We now have no internet or cable, so I am actually typing this out on MS WORD to make sure I get down what I want to get down before I head to bed.

 I wonder why so many schools wait to the last minute to cancel school. I’m sorry but if I look out side and I won’t drive to work in it, I’m not sending my kid to school on a bus. To me it’s for the safety of my child. My first concern is my child and I will do anything and everything to make sure my child is safe. Parents please do not send your child out to catch the bus if you are not willing to drive in it yourself. Think about the kids and all the distractions that the bus driver has.

I really do hate the snow. It’s pretty on the trees and the bushes, but not on the road or the ground. I don’t like the cold either, makes my pain worse. So, what can I do?? Nothing really… I live in Michigan and the weather changes like turning a light switch on and off. 

I do enjoy seeing the kids play in the snow. I remember liking the snow as a kid. I wonder what happened? Makes me wonder how many ADULTS now dislike playing in the snow and how many ADULTS still like playing in the snow. Do you even remember what your favorite thing to do on a snow day was? I know I used to like sledding but I think its because I used to get hot coco when we got home. 

Well… I guess I should be heading to bed since we have no internet or cable to see if school is cancelled or not.. So that means I have to get up earlier then normal to find out. I am not going to wake my lil one up if I don’t have to. She has been really tired lately and I’m not really sure why. 

So with this, I say GOODNIGHT HOOKERS!! 

Something to Introduce Myself

My name is Billie and I like to crochet. I run two pages on Facebook (Kountry Crochet and CrochetingClub) with my friend Melissa. I am always looking up new patterns or trying to write some myself. I am a mother to a wonderful little girl who will be turning 5 in April. She is getting so big. She is attending preschool all day from 8am - 3pm. it’s nice. I like the idea because it gets her used to being in school all day. She likes it cause she gets to ride the bus all by herself and almost all of the neighbor kids are in her class.
I have a wonderful boyfriend who is helping me out when I need it. Glad he is around because it seems like I need more and more help. I have some medical issues that make it hard for me to do every day things. I am fighting SSI right now all by myself. I am hoping I win, but if not... I will apply again and go though the process all over again. Some times it is hard for me to ask for help, I'm pretty stubborn. I will try and try and try to do something I know I shouldn't be doing. Why??? Just to prove to myself that I CANNOT do it and to let myself know what my limits are. I know it doesn't really make much sense, but oh well. 
I just got done passing my very first Kidney Stone the other day. I know this may not seem to interest too many people, but being down for 4 days and not being able to do much is what gave me the idea to start a blog. At least then I would be working on something when I'm down and I won't be so bored.
I will be adding some of the blogs that I am following, some websites I roam a lot, some odds and ends, some tips and tricks and maybe some other whatnots.. Feel free to follow along, leave some comments, ask questions or just hang out. If you test any of my patterns, please let me know what needs to be corrected or changed so I can change it.  
So I now WELCOME you to my blog. Please make yourself at home. I want everyone to feel welcomed and wanted here. I love feedback: negative or positive, I listen to it all. If we didn't... how would we learn? And don't forget.. YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY!!!
Just remember:

KEEP ON HOOKIN’

            And

HOOKIN’ IS WHERE THE HEART IS