A Miscount, In My Favor
The "Evil Dictator", also known as my wonderful sister, drove the members of this house to the brink of INSANITY, yesterday. I worked on that damned logo, way longer than any one person should EVER have to work on a logo. Michael, stretch the image out. Oh no, I don't like that...shrink it back down. Now, it just looks funny, stretch it out again. Bring the lettering closer together...but not that close. The letters need to be further apart. Can you make the text bigger? Oh my, that text is HUGE...shrink it down, just a bit. Can you go back, and redo the image, using different colors. I'm afraid those colors just won't work...
And, that is just my personal account. There is still my mother, who most likely has her own story, to tell. Well, let her get her own blog...THIS IS MY SPACE! MINE, AND MINE, ALONE!
Every time I heard my sister, call my name, in a voice that lingered (Miiiiiiiiiiiiiichhhhhhhhaaaaaeeeellllllll), I would bring my hand, to my forehead, in a smack. Here we go, I would think, again! I would roll my eyes. I would fight back the urge, to part my mouth, and let the words FLY out: 'Michael is FRIGGIN unavailable, right now!!!' I would go to her, to hear how I needed to change the logo...Yet AGAIN! I wanted to cry, every time I saw her computer, where I would be working on the LOGO from hell. I wanted to just shrink back, in a corner somewhere, and scream, an everlasting stream of vulagarities. I wanted to plead insanity. It wouldn't have been a false plea, either. I could feel myself, losing my mind.
A white, padded room...why yes, that is EXACTLY what I asked for. Let me in...QUICK! And, whatever you do, don't let the BOOGEY-LOGO in! (Insert maniacal laughter, here.)
Somehow...and don't ask me how...I managed to break away from the Dictator's REIGN OF TERROR! I managed to get away from the never-quite-right logo. Much to my surprise, I got to work on MY stuff, yesterday. And, let me tell you...The Yarn Project NEVER looked so good! I would take a Grief-Dealing Granny, Bitchy Broomstick Lace Pillow, or Hellishly Horrible Halloween Bag, over this logo, ANY FRIGGIN DAY OF THE WEEK!
(Even now, she is in the kitchen, talking about the flaws that are found, in a logo that, no matter how hard I may try, will never be good enough.)
Most people look forward to the weekend. It is a time to take a break, from the HELLS of stressful work. But, not here....In this home, HELL has been a guest, this weekend. Hell hath no fury, like a FRIGGIN logo!
Ok...a change of topic is now, I feel, in order. Let us leave the Hell of THE LOGO, and go to the land of happy fiber.
Yesterday, I decided to start by making my granny square. So, I grabbed my battered copy of 99 Granny Squares To Crochet. Here is where I encountered a rather delightful surprise.
I had done all but TWO granny squares.
That is right. As of yesterday, I only two more grannies to work.
I had simply forgotten to check off a few of the squares that I had already created. Oopsie! I was happy when I thought I had 4 more grannies to work. You can imagine my extreme delight, when I found out that I will be done with my grannies, by the end of this weekend. YAY! Once again, a spastic happy dance was called for. There was no getting around it. MY arms flew up in the air, and I started swinging them around. (I am sure that, if a chimp saw my happy dance, he would think one thing: BROTHER?)
Anyway.
Yesterday, I worked granny 91. In the stitch guide, for this square, there are three stitches that get an honorable mention: the 3-dc cluster, the 4-dc cluster, and the long double treble. There are 7 rounds to this granny. As for the sample square, seen in the book...well, I like it. It is actually a nice color combination. Blue, yellow, and black. In fact, I like it SO much that I decided to change only 1 color. Goodbye black, hello, another shade of yellow.
The first go-round with this granny didn't go all that well. I blame it, entirely, on fear. I was afraid of being called to Logo of Death, as I worked on this granny. And, one should NEVER attempt to work a granny, while in fear. That, my friends, was one of the lessons that I learned, yesterday.
I completely miscounted. Of course, I did not really notice this, until I had spent about 30 minutes working. I was 4 rows in, before the realization that I had miscounted, smacked me in the back of the head. I had to start the whole square over.
But, was I angry? Did I cry, or throw my fists into the air? Did I drop the "F" bomb? Did I want to throw my hook?
Nope!
As I said...I would rather have a grief-dealing granny, than work on the logo.
So, I merrily unraveled the boo-boo granny, and went at her again.
This time, I did not let the logo psyche me out. I had to keep cool, to keep count.
Time 2 with the granny...success!
And, I must say...She is a very pretty granny! There is NOTHING about her, that I dislike. She is PERFECT.
Take a gander.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theyarnproject/4916567154/
I showed this square to my sister. I thought that, since I am working my ass off, for her, she would {at least pretend to} enjoy this square.
Well, guess again.
She barely glanced at it.
Oh well...go figure! (I wonder...if I crocheted a whip, would she start to see my talents. I mean, at least with this, she could LITERALLY whip at us!)
Next up, on the crochet block...
My Halloween Bag.
Sometimes, this bag can be full of tricks. Yesterday, though...it was a pure TREAT to work with. My time with this project was beyond great. It was like this project had taken on a wonderfully peaceful aura. And, I, being the one who works with this project, got to share that aura.
Ahhh....
I swear to you...Black yarn has NEVER been such a joy, to work with. I actually did not want to put this project down. (Just 5 more minutes...)
Lastly, it was on to the Broomstick Lace Pillow.
Yesterday, I left the broomstick lace stitches, and entered into the 2 inch section of the pillow, worked in half double crochet. I love being at this point. It means that I am half-way through, the second half, of my pillow. WHOO-HOO!
And, the half double...well, it is easy-peasy.
One more thing...
Yesterday, my sister and mom went to JoAnn's, early in the morning. When they came back, my mom threw a black skein of Red Heart yarn, towards me. "For the granny square blanket," she said.
Now, it is true that I kind of wanted to go looking for the yarn I would connect the squares with. I wanted to see if I could find a soft acrylic yarn...see if I could avoid the crisp feeling of traditional Red Heart. But, as she threw this yarn at me, I could have cared less.
My mom bought me yarn...yarn that I specifically need, to finish one piece, for The Yarn Project. I smiled, as I held this yarn, in my hands.
Could this mean that she is starting to come to terms with The Yarn Project? Could the yarn be her way of showing me that she is going to start supporting me?
One can hope.
Well, I am off.
It is 11am, and I haven't even taken the time yet, to take my traditional morning bath.
Today, I finish my last square. Then, work on my pillow and Halloween bag, will commence.
Happy crocheting!