A Doctor's appointment... and a bunch of friends!

Hellooooo!!! How're you doing today, my space friends???

I've been trying to stay up to date with blogland, but it's not always succesful in a different rutine... specially with the wedding, was hard to follow! but yesterday I spent a good amount of time in the afternoon while my mom had a work meeting at home, and I catched up with the last posts of your lovely blogs...

We went to her doctor's appointment in the morning (yesterday)... and he said that everything was great and looked perfect!! he gave her green light to start walking a little here and there and even drive an automatic car!!! so finally, after 57 days of being at home and in a wheelchair, my mom is back on her feet and ready to get back to her normal life! I'm relieved and grateful that everything is ok!!! thank you so much for your good thoughts!!!

At night I had my friends come over... they usually gather on Tuesdays night to play board games, and yesterday was my house turn. So they came, 3 boys and 3 girls... Oh boy! I miss them so much when I'm not here!!!! but It's GREAT to know and feel that long time can pass and it will still be as if we have seen each other the day before...
We didn't play anything, just a good dinner, lots of chat and catch up and laugh! a great night!!!

Today I've been working in the wedding album...
My Sister-in-law and Husband will be away at their Honeymoon for a month, and I am making them an album that I want to get ready and printed before they are back so they'll see it when they get to their new home. I won't be here anymore by then, but I bet it'll be a great thing!!! it won't be a surprise, I think I told them that I wanted to make an album, but still it will be great!!! and the best part of making it digital is that I can order several copies, so they can have one and my in-laws and MG and I another.

Here some pics of what I've done so far...

 

 

Weekend at the beach... and a wedding.

The main reason for my trip this time, was that my Sister-in-law was getting married... MG's sister, that's it. He couldn't come for several work issues and we all were sad because of that.

I flew on Friday to Acapulco, a beach in the south-west of Mexico, where I met all MG's family... his parents and aunts, uncles and cousins.
We hung out at the hotel where the extended family was staying and went to mid-afternoon lunch to a very famous place of fresh fish and seafood. All of them are really nice to me and I like that I feel part of the family... not a stranger.
My Sister-in-law was not there because she was with the future husband in a photo sesion at the beach, where they wanted to go into the sea and lay on the sand, so she used her Mom's wedding dress for the sesion!!!! (my Mom's dress would have never fit me!!)

At night, we (my Parents in Law and me) went to join them at the house where the wedding was held on Saturday... So I spent the night there with them and shared a room with my Sister in law. I felt as we were having a sleep over and sharing secrets and stories.

On Saturday, there was a crew there in the morning to set up all that was needed for the event... I enjoyed a lot being there to see how excited she was and I took TONS of pictures to have every little piece documented to show MG so he could feel a bit the excitement of being there.
A stylist did her hair and make up, and he even did my hair.

I helped her to get dressed and put her veil on...  she was glowing and looked gorgeous... we did more pictures and then the guests started to arrived.
They had a ceremony and a blessing at the beach, near the sea, during the sunset. It was beautiful and in perfect timing... Then the civil wedding and off to dinner (8 pm) and the dance (9 pm)... the dancing was full and alive until 2.30am.

I was designated by her as the link in between the wedding coordinator, the cheif waiter, the musicians and DJ, and her... so they all would go with me when they had problems or doubts and I solved what I could or went to ask the bride about it...Also, in the middle of the night I went up with her to help her change her dress into her mom's dress again, because her dress was really heavy and she wanted to be more comfortable to dance.

She didn't have any brides maids, but I think that I covered the duties of the maid of honor or so.
Overall it was a really nice and beautiful experience for me... I enjoyed it a lot...

The only down was that I had a big knot in my throat and had to fight back the tears that threaten to come out, every time I thought about MG alone at our house, missing all this special moments and not seeing (looking at?) his sister in her wedding day.

The pictures are of the house where the wedding was held and the set up for the party... I'll come back with some wedding pictures other day.

See you soon!
S.

And I went away!!!!

Hello guys!!!
Nice to see you here today!!!

I'm reporting today from the big, one and only, beautiful, Mexico City... I came yesterday in an awfully long trip and arrive safely at my mum arms!!! It feels so good to be with her!

I'm missing dear MG terribly but I'm really happy to be here and totally eager to enjoy each second of it! 3 weeks!!!!

On the creative side I have to report that:
--I finished my pink scarf... it took a week to decipher the pattern and make it work... I'm still making some adjustments to it and haven't got pictures of it yet... (I took some but I forgot to take them out MG's camera before coming here)
It's very comfortable and looks great! it required a bit of blocking but it worth it...
I decided to call it Seashells scarf...

I'm working on a teal (color) one now.

-- the Ferragamo dress is coming out great! we figure out a way to work the top and after a few times of trial and error we got a pretty nice shape for the sleeves.... She'll be working on it in all the mesh pattern while I'm here and we'll work with the shells/scallops at the skirt part when I'm back.

I'm pretty happy and everything seems perfect in my life right now!

I really hope you're really happy too!
See you soon!
S.

A perfect day...

Hello my friends!!! how're you???? Hope you are really really good!

Today and yesterday I've had pretty perfect days... I think is the spring that is coming that has me so happy... the weather have been gorgeous, simply perfect... today we were at 75F (around 22°C) with soft breeze... was heaven... the skies were blue and everything was fresh and light... and Oh! it feels sooo good to go out and walk!!!

I've spend all my afternoons this week at the LYS... it has been pretty quiet there because there's not a lot of people going in because of the spring break... but that I like (maybe them not so much because they're not having a lot of sales) because we can just sit and talk and knit/crochet and it's marvellous.
One of the ladies asked me to help her to create a version of this Salvatore Ferragamo dress...  (sorry for the nudity in the picture!! I really think the dress should be lined or at least she should be wearing something under!!!!)

It won't be exactly the same, as this one has an uncovered back and she'll make the back the same as the front... so we have been working on that this week... trying to decipher the dress from printings and magaziners pictures...

I've been working with my new Tonic yarn... It's a great yarn that the LYS just started carrying... it comes in 60 colors...

though the yarn store just carry 15.... the colors are super bright and rich... perfect!! the fiber is acrylic 85% and wool 15% and it's machine washable... the people at the store tells me that it's a worsted yarn, but the website has it as DK and I see it and feel it thiner than worsted, so I'll go for DK...

I just bought one ball of a dark rich pink to try and make a super pretty scarf I discovered on Flickr (I'm not sure I can post the picture here because it has a copyright sign... but I think I can post a link to it and you can go and take a peek).

So here are my first tries...

I think it doesn't look bad... and I'm enjoying the making of it. The color looks close on the picture but in real life is more shiny, just a bit.

I'm leaving for now... it's getting late and I have things to do... hope to be back tomorrow!

See you soon!
S.

It's a new day...

It's so late!!! or early, as you'd like to see it...
I'm here writing at midnight, 12:18 am here! I'm here with MG, we haven't gone to bed yet... and I'm so tired that I think my English is not coming out :o)!

My dear Hubby is writing a report of his job of the past 7 months... I was helping him to correct the style, because the report needs to be in Spanish and since he's all day thinking and talking English related work things, when he writes it down, he uses words in Spanish, but with English grammar structure!!!!
So it's a bit of a mess!!!!

Luckily, we are finished so we can go to bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good!!! I think I'll sleep in tomorrow while he gets ready to go... and prepares breakfast! After all, I already cooked a nice fish in parsley and rice for tomorrow's (later today) lunch!

Hope you could read my sleepy English!!

See you soon!
S.

Thank you!!!!! and Muffis the cat!

I am so so so lucky to have you all there to read my blog, to support me, to encourage me in my projects, to read my show offs of my finished projects and to cheer me up when I'm down.

Thank you, for all your nice and sweet comments about my down feelings from yesterday!!! THANK YOU!!!

I'm feeling much better today and I'm happy and cheerful again!
I had my Zumba class today and I won't be able to move tomorrow but I'm great.
I'll be going to the LYS in a little while to re-learn to knit, and we'll have delicious lamb curry for dinner...

Now... Muffis The Cat...

Last week MG said that he would like to have a cat... a puff white cat called Muffis that will sit there and looked at him with a "don't mess with me" look... he dreamed about playing with him and about trying to train him to bark and shake hands (like a dog)... so he was really happy thinking about his fantasy cat.

Now, I don't like cats, I'm not a pet person... I'm not fond at all of animals that could be in touch with me (I don't like to touch animals or be touched by them). Plus, I grew up in the middle of a family where several members where scared to death of cats! so I really don't like them... and there's no way we will get a cat.

So MG kept saying he wanted a cat... so I went and bought him a cat!

hehehe....

...and guess what! he was the most happiest man!!!!!
He's happy, happy, happy with his new Muffis Cat!!! he played with him, and talked, and tried to teach him to bark!!! so, that is my dear MG!! he is like a kid, he plays and he likes to enjoy those little things!

So now, hes' happy with his cat and me too! and I don't care to have that cat!

See you soon!
S.

Down...

Hello dear space and dear friends where ever you are...

I'm sorry but this will not be a happy posting... Some times, and I think most of the times, a lot of us in blogland block ourselves for those down days and not write about them... is not that our life is perfect and happy all the time, is just that we chose to focus on the bright and happy and not tell about the not so happy days...
(by the way, I must be tired and I can't think in English very good right now, hope what I write today makes sense... because I kind of feel it doesn't, like is not well written)

I feel like crying... I don't know why, I've just been down all day.
I had an amazing weekend:: I spend my evening on Friday at the LYS and the same on Saturday afternoon, almost 5 or 6 hours of knitty time with nice ladies... then I had a Saturday date night with my dear MG and he took me out to have sushi for dinner!! Yesterday was a perfect and happy day spent in my pj's with MG around... working on my scrapbook albums, and knitting...

And today.... I don't know, I'm simply not happy... and it's not exactly that if that makes sense...
I'm happy and utterly thankful for all the things in my life... I can't ask for more and my life is pretty much perfect... but I'm also sad.
I don't know if what have is that I'm homesick... I am going to Mexico in 3 weeks (yei!) and I'm really excited about going and spending 2 great weeks with my family... and all the time I'm thinking in how great it'll be and all I want to do in that time... and I'm enjoying so much my life here right now!
I'm finally (luckily) getting to that point where I have things to do, places to go, and people to see... I finally have some friends to hang out with and have lunch or do things together. I've come to know the city and places and I really love this place.

Besides all that, I'm in my best self moment in my relation with MG... I'm totally and completely inlove with him, more deep and stronger than ever!!! and that is absolutely great and makes me really really happy! I love him so so much!

And still, today I just want to cry...
Maybe I'm tired, maybe I'll get sick and my body and mind are down, I don't know... but I feel sad...

I went to the yarn store today because I'd made a mistake in my sleeveless tunic and I needed help... and it was all wrong!!!! I knit continental and I knew that I twist my stitches, but when they analized how I knit, I do 3 things wrong on each stitch... I was making a really (even) dense fabric, with twisted stiches and using a whole more yarn than I was supposed to... and on top of everything, my knitting was not straight (I forgot the way they told me that is called) but my rows of knitting were going to one side instead of going straight down... and I needed them straight down to this project, because otherwise the triangle points on each side of the "skirt" wouldn't be at the sides....

So very sadly we unraveled the whole thing... They said they would teach me the rigth way to do it next time I go to the store.... I came home and looked for continental knitting on youtube, and tried a practice swatch.... it feels like I've never knitted and I'm learning all over again... and as every new student, I put a lot of tension and pressure and now I have pain again in my hands... I had to stop because of it and I just feel so frustrated right now...

So that frustration, added to the crying feeling from before during the day, are not a very good combination....
I have to go, MG is here and we have to go groseries shopping... hope I'll get distracted!

Thanks for reading if you got all the way trought it!

See you soon!
S.

Giveaway winner!!!!

Hello all!!!!
I'm happy to be here today to anounce my giveaway winner...

I'm must confess that I was somehow waiting for more people to enter to it... I just had 5 participants, but that doesn't get me down, because I think that means that those 5 lovely ladies, like to read my blog and were excited about my giveaway....

I'm really, truly grateful with you for making this blog adventure fun and magic... and without further words... the winner of this gorgeous earrings (if I may say so myself):::

........is........... our lovely Teresa!!!!

Congratulations Teresa!!!! I'll be very happy to send them your way to their new home!
Thank you to the rest of you!
I'll plan another giveaway in the future sometime, I hope you'll be here for that one too!

See you soon!
S.

Sleeveless Cardi Jumper

Hello!!!

Thanks for being here today!

Remember I told you that my Crocodile Stitch Shawl was hibernating because I got caught up in a knitting project???
Well, some of the ladies at my LYS have been making this Sleeveless Cardi by Emma Fassio.
And I got caught by the idea of making it... and I didn't want to because I had several projects going on, you know how this is...
At some point I decided that it would be my project to work on at the end of this month, because I'm going to Mexico (YEI!!!!! happy dance!!!) for 2 weeks, and I planned to do it there...
As knitting is not my strong point I wanted to start and get past the straps, the increases and the binding off of the armholes. And then just knit, knit, knit in the round on my trip.
Well, one day I just HAD TO start!!! so took a trip to the yarn store, bought 4 skeins of lovely Vintage Chunky yarn, and casted on my stitches.

I must have done something wrong in one of the increases because my count was all off... so I ripped it and started all over again...

I'm glad I did it, and know I have an amazing project going on... I couldn't stop so now I'm hopping I'll finish it before my trip!

And I'm even loving the little holes made by the increases!

I'm a bit further now than when I took this pictures, and I think I've get to the point for the bottom increases! so another trip to the LYS today for help and afternoon with the ladies!
And I better hurry up because I think it'll rain!!!

See you soon!
S.

**Today is the last day to enter my Giveaway!!! so hurry up because I'm making the draw tomorrow!

Crocodile Stitch Shawl

I think this will be my last catch up post for today! I have to go back to life choruses... make the bed, clean up a little bit, maybe some hooky time, set up my Etsy store, and I want to make mint meringues and maybe go to Hobby Lobby!

But before leaving I want to show you my new Shawl in progress...

After I finished my bag I was still too excited with the crocodile stitch and wanted to make something else... I have seen some shawls in Ravelry, so I went to Hobby Lobby and got a skein of Patons Lace... and put my hands to it!

It knid of started as a triangular shawl but at some point I decided it would be better a rectangular one, so I started to increase just on one side of the shawl and as a result I got this:

I LOVE how the self striping yarn looks... here's a close up:

You stil can see the stitch and have also the color stripes effect... I love it...

For my bag I used dc through the project, but for this shawl I'm using trebles... it makes it more open and I like the look of it... I must say that this is a yarn eater stitch!!!! and I think it will be a very warm shawl and maybe a little bit heavy!

I'll share with you my progress of it, but right now is hibernating a bit because I got caught with a knitting project in the middle! no less!

I'll tell you about it next time!

I have to go, but I'll be back soon! it feels great to be back on track!
Don't forget my giveaway!

and... See you soon!
S.

Green and purple hat...

This is another hat for B-Town Caps for Cancer... a local group that makes hats for cancer patients in the area... I've been attending to their meetings since November as I like the idea of helping and having a group to do so.

I'm pretty much the only crocheter there, some of them can crochet but prefer knitting for their hats... and then they ohh and ahh when I finish a hat in a 2 hour meeting! LOL!

This is my latest hat...

It's teenager size... made with a cotton wool blend.
I still have to add some flowers, I think I'd like 3 so I have to make 2 more.

I made up the hat as I went and I want to write down the pattern to have it for the future because I like the way it came out... but the flower came from here.
I'll take more pics when is finished and ready to go with the flowers in place.

See you soon!
S.

Crocodile Stitch Bag -- Finished!!!

Hellooo!!!!!

Happy to anounce that my Croco-bag is finished!!!!

Ok, ok, it was finished almost a month ago, but then the camera black out happened!

Maybe you remember when I discovered the Crocodile Stitch, when I started my bag, and when it was almost finished...

Today we have a "Here it is" post!

My bag was made using Cascade 220 superwash... with a 5mm hook.
It measures 10x10in (25x25 cm) and has a 43in (109 cm) long strap so it can be used on the side, next to the hip.

I am very pleased with the result... and the people at my LYS must be too, because they've asked me to give a class for this project!!!!! how cool is that?
I'm excited and happy and I'm honored that I've been asked and thankful to have the opportunity.

I haven't lined the bag yet... I plan to do it in the future, but right now, I want to be able to show the back of the crocodile stitch in the class, which I think is beautiful too!

I've written down the pattern for this bag and right now it's being tested by some of the lovely ladies at We Love Lucy group at Ravelry... Thank you so much guys!!! your input has been very valuable!

So I hope to have it complete and available really soon!

See you soon!
S.

Birthday Cake...

I got MG's camera yesterday but he forgot to give me the cable to pass the photos to the computer, so it had to wait until today.

But here we are!!! back on track with color!!!! yei!!!!
This is will be my first post of this catch up serie... So lets start, shall we?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello!!! I hope you all are having a wonderful day!
Here the sky is blue and shiny and that makes me feel happy and cheerful... I'm done with dark muted days and I can't wait for the spring!!!

Yesterday was MG's Birthday... he's 34!
On Monday I made a cake for him... I've asked him what kind of cake he would like and he chose a Tres Leches Cake (you can see my recipe in the link) that is a Mexican cake type in which you make a mix of 3 different types of milk and add them to the cake until is soaky and all milky and moist... it's delicious!!!

The cake was a dissaster........ and a total success!!!
It was a dissaster because I had made 2 cakes, top and bottom, because I wanted to add a whip cream and strawberries filling... So I was adding the milks mixture to the cakes, equally to the top and bottom part, and the top part started to crack! so I finished the milks addition and rush to prepare the whipped cream and cut the strawberries... I put the filling in place, looked great, and went on to flip the top cake to put it on top of the filling.... well, that didn't come out very good.....

The cake fall apart in my hands!!!! there were wet crumbles all over the place, most of it on top of the bottom part of the cake that had the filling, but some of it over the counter and a little bit got all the way to the floor!!!!!
I almost cried!!!
I didn't had time (or willing power) to make another one and I didn't wanted to put that one in the trash! so I decided to pack all the crumbles with my hands in my best of doing it cake shaped...
And immediatly I proceed to cover it with the rest of the whipped cream...
Then I took out of the fridge a pipping bag with icing from a previous cake and wrote "Feliz Cumpleaños Cielito" on top of it (that's Happy Birthday in spanish... and Cielito is how I call my dear MG), and put the cake in a box and in the fridge so it didn't melt or anything....

Here's the failure cake...

I think that looking it in that picture doesn't look THAT bad... and I must say that it was DELICIOUS!!!!!

And the absolute BEST part was that that night, when MG came home from work and opened the fridge he was surprised and happy with the cake... but after dinner when he took it out to cut a piece and opened the box and saw that it had writing on it, specially for him....

WOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!! he was speachless, super SUPER happy and overwhelmed and it totally worth all the dissaster!!!

Plus, he didn't really noticed anything, even when I told him about it and has been really happy enjoying his cake, and today he took 2 pieces to share with his friends at work!

So after all... my failure cake was a success!!!!

See you soon!

S. 

Don't forget to enter to my Giveaway!

Giveaway!!!

Hello guys!!!

I hope this post will bring me back to blogland... I'm still without a camera... I wanted to buy a new memory card on the weekend, but the thing was that my camera is a bit old, and we couldn't find a card that fits it... so still no memory card.
Today, however, I got MG to lent me his camera, so I'll take all the necesary pictures in a while...

For now I just want to tell you that I've decided what will be my giveaway!!!
I'm just setting up my new Etsy shop, which I'll share with you all the minute it's ready!
So what a better thing to give away than something that could be perfectly in my new store!!!

Here it is:

A beautiful pair of earrings, handmade by me... :o)
It's all made with Sterling Silver, and the beads are red quartz.

So if you like to enter, you have to be a follower of the blog, because this giveaway is a gift to you, to all the lovely friends I have found here and have made my experience blogging so amazing... because I enjoy so much each time I read a comment and I feel so happy knowing that somewhere, someone is willing to happily read whatever I have to say... thanks, a million thanks for be on the other side on your computer, and for joining me in this adventure.

Leave a comment before Friday March 5th to enter... and I'll draw a name during the weekend!!

Hope to see you really soon!
S.